Privacy Capabilities Overview

Note

This page is auto-generated by docs/_addons/etp_matrix.py from browser/app/profile/firefox.js, modules/libpref/init/all.js, and modules/libpref/init/StaticPrefList.yaml during the documentation build. To modify the content, update the extension or the source files.

This page documents Firefox desktop privacy features and their default configurations.

Quick Navigation:

• Enhanced Tracking Protection

• Safe Browsing

• Private Browsing

• Cookie Behavior

• Privacy Headers

• Fingerprinting Resistance

• Anti-fraud

• Other Privacy Features

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Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP)

Enhanced Tracking Protection features that change between Standard and Strict modes. Users select their ETP mode in Firefox Settings.

The Normal and Private columns indicate whether each feature is enabled in normal browsing and private browsing modes, respectively.

Pref defaults are sourced from StaticPrefList.yaml, all.js, and firefox.js (applied in that order). ETP Strict additionally enables features based on the browser.contentblocking.features.strict string in firefox.js.

Feature	Standard Normal	Standard Private	Strict Normal	Strict Private
Tracking Protection Blocks resources from domains on the Disconnect tracking protection list. privacy.trackingprotection.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml privacy.trackingprotection.pbmode.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml	false	true	true	true
Fingerprinting Blocking Blocks resources from domains on the Disconnect fingerprinting list. privacy.trackingprotection.fingerprinting.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml, firefox.js	true		true
Fingerprinting Protection Applies fingerprinting protections including canvas randomization and reducing exposed system info. privacy.fingerprintingProtection: StaticPrefList.yaml privacy.fingerprintingProtection.pbmode: StaticPrefList.yaml	false	true	true	true
Cryptominer Blocking Blocks resources from domains on the Disconnect cryptomining list. privacy.trackingprotection.cryptomining.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml, firefox.js	true		true
Social Tracker Blocking Blocks resources from domains on the Disconnect social tracking list. privacy.trackingprotection.socialtracking.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml	false		true
Email Tracking Protection Blocks resources from domains on the email tracking list. privacy.trackingprotection.emailtracking.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml privacy.trackingprotection.emailtracking.pbmode.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml	false	true	true	true
Cookie Behavior Controls third-party cookie blocking strategy. See Bug 2016714 for value definitions. network.cookie.cookieBehavior: StaticPrefList.yaml, firefox.js network.cookie.cookieBehavior.pbmode: StaticPrefList.yaml, firefox.js	5	5	5	5
Query Parameter Stripping Strips known tracking query parameters from URLs during navigation. privacy.query_stripping.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml privacy.query_stripping.enabled.pbmode: StaticPrefList.yaml	false	false	true	true
Level 2 Tracking List Annotates channels with the Level 2 (strict) Disconnect tracking list in addition to Level 1. privacy.annotate_channels.strict_list.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml	false		true
Strict Referrer Policy Prevents referrer policy from being relaxed to unsafe-url for cross-site requests. network.http.referer.disallowCrossSiteRelaxingDefault: StaticPrefList.yaml	true		true
Strict Referrer Policy (Top Nav) Applies strict referrer policy to top-level navigation (not just subresources). network.http.referer.disallowCrossSiteRelaxingDefault.top_navigation: StaticPrefList.yaml	false		true
OCSP Cache Partitioning Partitions OCSP cache by top-level origin key. privacy.partition.network_state.ocsp_cache: StaticPrefList.yaml	true		true
Bounce Tracking Protection Clears state for sites used as bounce trackers. See Bounce Tracking Protection docs for mode values. privacy.bounceTrackingProtection.mode: StaticPrefList.yaml	[1]		[1]
Local Network Access Blocking Blocks public websites from making requests to private IP ranges (RFC1918, loopback, link-local). network.lna.blocking: StaticPrefList.yaml	@IS_NIGHTLY_BUILD@		@IS_NIGHTLY_BUILD@
Consent Manager Skipping Skips blocking for known consent management platform domains. privacy.trackingprotection.consentmanager.skip.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml privacy.trackingprotection.consentmanager.skip.pbmode.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml	false	true	false	false

[1] privacy.bounceTrackingProtection.mode has build-specific defaults:

#ifdef NIGHTLY_BUILD
  value: 1
#else
  value: 3
#endif

Safe Browsing

Feature	Normal	Private
Malware Protection Checks URLs against Google Safe Browsing malware list. browser.safebrowsing.malware.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml	true
Phishing Protection Checks URLs against Google Safe Browsing phishing list. browser.safebrowsing.phishing.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml	true
Downloads Protection Checks downloaded file hashes against Google Safe Browsing download protection lists. browser.safebrowsing.downloads.enabled: all.js	true
Block Potentially Unwanted Software Blocks downloads flagged as potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) by Safe Browsing. browser.safebrowsing.downloads.remote.block_potentially_unwanted: all.js	true

Private Browsing

Feature	Normal	Private
Reset Private Browsing Clears all private browsing mode data when last private window is closed. browser.privatebrowsing.resetPBM.enabled: firefox.js	[2]
Show Reset Confirmation Shows confirmation dialog before clearing private browsing data on window close. browser.privatebrowsing.resetPBM.showConfirmationDialog: firefox.js	true

[2] browser.privatebrowsing.resetPBM.enabled has build-specific defaults:

#if defined(NIGHTLY_BUILD)
pref("browser.privatebrowsing.resetPBM.enabled", true);
#else
pref("browser.privatebrowsing.resetPBM.enabled", false);
#endif

Cookie Behavior

Feature	Normal	Private
CHIPS Support Enables Cookies Having Independent Partitioned State (CHIPS) per draft spec. network.cookie.CHIPS.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml	true
Opt-in Cookie Partitioning Changes cookieBehavior=5 from dynamic partitioning to block-by-default with opt-in. network.cookie.cookieBehavior.optInPartitioning: StaticPrefList.yaml network.cookie.cookieBehavior.optInPartitioning.pbmode: StaticPrefList.yaml	false	false
Tracker Cookie Blocking Blocks third-party cookies from domains on the tracking protection list. network.cookie.cookieBehavior.trackerCookieBlocking: StaticPrefList.yaml	false
Social Tracker Cookie Blocking Treats domains on social tracking list as trackers for cookie blocking. privacy.socialtracking.block_cookies.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml	true

Privacy Headers

Feature	Normal	Private
Do Not Track Sends DNT: 1 HTTP header with all requests. privacy.donottrackheader.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml	false
Global Privacy Control Sends Sec-GPC: 1 HTTP header and exposes navigator.globalPrivacyControl=true. privacy.globalprivacycontrol.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml privacy.globalprivacycontrol.pbmode.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml, firefox.js	false	true
GPC Functionality Master switch that controls whether GPC signals are sent (requires .enabled to also be true). privacy.globalprivacycontrol.functionality.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml, firefox.js	true

Fingerprinting Resistance

Feature	Normal	Private
Resist Fingerprinting Enables comprehensive fingerprinting resistance including canvas noise, reduced timer precision, and spoofed system info. privacy.resistFingerprinting: StaticPrefList.yaml privacy.resistFingerprinting.pbmode: StaticPrefList.yaml	false	false

Anti-fraud

Feature	Normal	Private
Skip Anti-fraud Resources Exempts domains with ‘fingerprinting’ or ‘tracking’ annotations from blocking if they have ‘anti-fraud’ annotation. privacy.trackingprotection.antifraud.skip.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml privacy.trackingprotection.antifraud.skip.pbmode.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml	false	true

Other Privacy Features

Feature	Normal	Private
Cookie Banner UI Shows cookie banner reduction controls in Firefox settings. cookiebanners.ui.desktop.enabled: firefox.js	false
Network State Partitioning Partitions HTTP cache, connection pools, and other network state by top-level site. privacy.partition.network_state: StaticPrefList.yaml	true
Strip on Share Strips tracking query parameters when copying URLs via context menu ‘Copy Link’. privacy.query_stripping.strip_on_share.enabled: StaticPrefList.yaml, firefox.js	true

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Sources: browser/app/profile/firefox.js, modules/libpref/init/StaticPrefList.yaml, modules/libpref/init/all.js