Firefox 88 might actually make you consider a switch
Latest Firefox release helps protect against cross-site privacy leaks
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Mozilla has announced the launch of the latest version of itsbrowserandFirefox 88includes a number of new features to help users stay productive online while also protecting their privacy.
For those who often work withPDF filesin their browser, the company has added support for JavaScript embedded in PDF files. This can be quite useful as some PDF forms use JavaScript for validation as well as for other interactive features.
Users running Firefox onLinuxwill likely be happy to hear that smooth pinch-zooming using a trackpad is now supported and when it comes to printing from the browser, margin units are now localized.
We’re looking at how our readers use VPN for a forthcoming in-depth report. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the survey below. It won’t take more than 60 seconds of your time.
Click here to start the survey in a new window«
In addition to these new features, Mozilla has also made several changes to Firefox with the release of version 88 of its browser. For instance, Firefox will no longer prompt users for access to their microphone or camera if they’ve already granted access within the past 50 seconds, the “Take a Screenshot” feature has been removed from the Page Actions menu in the URL bar and can now be found by right clicking to open the context menu andFTP support has been disabledbefore being completely removed when Firefox 90 launches this summer.
Cross-site privacy leaks
Perhaps the biggest update in Firefox 88 is that the browser will now isolate window.name data to the website that created it to help protect againstcross-site privacy leaks.
In ablog post,senior software engineer at Mozilla, Tim Huan provided further insight on how window.name can be abused to track users online, saying:
“Since the late 1990s, web browsers have made the window.name property available to web pages as a place to store data. Unfortunately, data stored in window.name has been allowed by standard browser rules to leak between websites, enabling trackers to identify users or snoop on their browsing history. To close this leak, Firefox now confines the window.name property to the website that created it.”
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
While tracking companies have been abusing this property to leak information,malicious siteshave also been able to observe the content of widnow.name to gather private user data that was inadvertently leaked by another website.
As more of our work is now done from a browser especially whileworking from home, making the switch fromMicrosoft EdgeorGoogle Chrometo Mozilla Firefox may be the right choice if you want to protect your privacy further and prevent being tracked online.
After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.
This new malware utilizes a rare programming language to evade traditional detection methods
A new form of macOS malware is being used by devious North Korean hackers
Arcane season 2 confirms the hit series isn’t just one of the best Netflix shows ever made – it’s an animated legend that’ll stand the test of time
