Firefox 69 Now Blocks 3rd-Party Tracking Cookies and Cryptominers By Default

[Baofeng]

It looks like Firefox is doing a good service for crypto enthusiast around the world by blocking third party cookies and cryptominers by default:

Firefox Blocks Web-Based Cryptocurrency Miners
Third-party cookies are not the only one that one should worry about.
In the past years, web-based cryptocurrency miners have increasingly been abused by not just hackers but also websites and mobile apps to monetize by levying the CPU power of your PCs to secretly mine cryptocurrencies—often without your knowledge or consent.
In the wake of cryptocurrency mining scripts, both Apple and Google banned applications from listing in their app stores that mine cryptocurrencies on users' devices in the background.

Now, Firefox 69 also blocks web-based cryptocurrency miners by default, preventing draining your CPU usage and battery power on your computers.

https://thehackernews.com/2019/09/firefox-tracking-cookies-cryptominers.html

[AB de Royse777]

It looks like Firefox is doing a good service for crypto enthusiast around the world by blocking third party cookies and cryptominers by default:

Firefox is much more safer than Chrome when it comes to privacy.

[o_e_l_e_o]

So while Firefox are blocking tracking cookies and cryptominers, Google are blocking ad blockers and anti-tracking add ons from Chrome.

It absolutely boggles my mind that Chrome has something like 70% of market share. Every new development makes it worse for users and more of a money maker for Google, yet people still keep using it. It tracks everything you do and reports back to Google constantly to build a complete profile of you. Your data is sold to any number of unknown third parties. They are literally blocking ad blockers. Being fast was its only real selling point, except it now eats RAM like there's no tomorrow and isn't any faster than Firefox. Chrome is pretty much spyware at this point. Firefox is superior by pretty much every metric.

Most clued up users already have add ons installed to block both cryptominers and tracking cookies, but good on Firefox to make these changes default.

[dkbit98]

People are just creatures of habit, that is why they use all G products.
I refuse to use Google and Chrome whenever I can, but it is not always possible.

There is Firefox, Brave and few other alternatives for browsers,
and many more alternative search engines like Qwant, DuckoDuckoGo, Startpage...

To be honest, google will not be very happy if you use Firefox, and you will have much more captchas to solve for sure.
But overall I think Firefox is more secure and better browser, including its private superhero brother Tor

[StonerStanley]

People are just creatures of habit, that is why they use all G products.
I refuse to use Google and Chrome whenever I can, but it is not always possible.

There is Firefox, Brave and few other alternatives for browsers,
and many more alternative search engines like Qwant, DuckoDuckoGo, Startpage...

To be honest, google will not be very happy if you use Firefox, and you will have much more captchas to solve for sure.
But overall I think Firefox is more secure and better browser, including its private superhero brother Tor

Chrome is better for HTLM5 Game. Firefox isn't well optimised.
But i use Opera (for game and trading) and Waterfox sometimes.

[dkbit98]

Chrome is better for HTLM5 Game. Firefox isn't well optimised.
But i use Opera (for game and trading) and Waterfox sometimes.

Then use Brave browser or Vivaldi browser.
Much safer, and they use the same Chromium base.

[StonerStanley]

It looks like Firefox is doing a good service for crypto enthusiast around the world by blocking third party cookies and cryptominers by default:

Not only for crypto enthusiast, but for all regular users who don't know they're being tracked and their privacy is violated.

Chrome is better for HTLM5 Game. Firefox isn't well optimised.
But i use Opera (for game and trading) and Waterfox sometimes.

When website perform better on Chromium-based, usually it's because :
1. It uses google's library/feature which optimized for Google Chrome
2. Website's developer only tested it on Google Chrome because they're being lazy to safe time

I'm a developer, firefox isn't well optimised. I like it because of the interface and configuration but it's very badly optimised.
I use Opera to develop my games because firefox is slower.

[Goodvalony]

this is a welcome development. i believe that this will reduce the cryptojacking services that causes lots of unnecessary clung on people system. this will also reduce assist in reducing minor online scams and attack using cookies. i expect other browsers to follow suit.

[hatshepsut93]

It looks like Firefox is doing a good service for crypto enthusiast around the world by blocking third party cookies and cryptominers by default:

It's not just for crypto enthusiasts, it's about everyone, cryptominers are just a type of in-browser malware, and it's not even something that targets crypto users specifically, in fact it's probably the opposite as this malware is most effective when it's deployed on high-traffic sites.

It absolutely boggles my mind that Chrome has something like 70% of market share.

Most people don't know and don't care about privacy, and Chrome usually offers slightly better performance, less bugs and a bit faster load speeds. And Google as a giant company spent a ton of money on marketing Chrome. Also Chrome comes pre-installed on Android devices, and mobile platforms have already flipped desktops.

[LTU_btc]

It's great news. This is why I love Firefox and choose them instead of Chrome. And I'm a bit dappointed that very few people use it compared to Chrome. I think that Firefox makes better product. But I think cryptominers isn't such big and dangerous thing anymore, especially when Coinhive stopped working. Also, many antivirus blocking CPU miner java scripts by default.
I don't exactly know how 3rd party tracking cookies works, but from what I read in one article, it's also not a big thing anymore - https://marketingland.com/the-third-party-browser-tracking-cookie-is-dead-whats-next-263804

[Velkro]

It looks like Firefox is doing a good service for crypto enthusiast around the world by blocking third party cookies and cryptominers by default:

Great news. Not google service which is big positive, then additional privacy settings as default behaviour.
They stepped up their game, i hope they will keep it that way.
Firefox a thing to consider now.

[Lucius]

But I think cryptominers isn't such big and dangerous thing anymore, especially when Coinhive stopped working. Also, many antivirus blocking CPU miner java scripts by default.

It is true that after Coinhive is stop working, browser mining is almost completely gone, personally I have not received any warning for months from my antivirus about that. So in a way Firefox is a bit late with that feature, but we never know if / when some similar threat may appear.

Regarding what browser is better, as a user who use Firefox for years I must say that Chrome is somewhat better in performance (faster) on my PC then Firefox, but I know that privacy protection is much better with Firefox.

Maybe it's a little weird that people use Chrome more, but it is because they use Gmail and YouTube also, and if we're being honest they don't care too much for privacy. If you use Windows 10 forget about privacy, you share a lot of data with Microsoft also.

[mk4]

Now, Firefox 69 also blocks web-based cryptocurrency miners by default,

Nice.

Anyway, Firefox has always been a privacy advocate for as much as I remember. It looks like they're catching up towards the Brave browser in terms of privacy.

Chrome is pretty much spyware at this point. Firefox is superior by pretty much every metric.

Unfortunately, Chrome has sort of been the "standard" browser to use for a while now as people have been very used to it's UI/UX already, and because it was the sort of "faster" browser back in the day. The typical person simply just doesn't give a crap about privacy unfortunately.

[stompix]

So while Firefox are blocking tracking cookies and cryptominers, Google are blocking ad blockers and anti-tracking add ons from Chrome.

Thier f google store policy pisses me off, that's why one of the few app I bought is Adguard.
Before that reading, a normal news page on mobile was so annoying with all the adds I gave up half of the time.

Being fast was its only real selling point, except it now eats RAM like there's no tomorrow and isn't any faster than Firefox. Chrome is pretty much spyware at this point. Firefox is superior by pretty much every metric.

Surprisingly, I'm finding edge faster than both of them on some website. Also, less ram intensive, too bad I really don't like other aspects and the lack of extensions plays a big part in it. Chrom just pisses me off with all those processes, sometimes I have only one page with one tab open and there is a full 1.5 GB of ram used with 20 processes running. Why the hell would you use constantly 7% of the CPU for a sole damn static tab!!!!

and many more alternative search engines like Qwant, DuckoDuckoGo, Startpage...

I tried Qwant but I quit after 5 minutes. Their results are horrible, searching for something and the second result is Google and thrid is Instagram? Common!!!
Also, the duck might be a choice if searching for English results but in my language, it simply sucks, the results are either irrelevant or articles older than the internet. 

[zerocrypted]

People should start using Brave browser. It basically lets you decide what you want to do. Want to earn a few bucks a year for seeing ads? good. Want to block everything and surf the web faster? Good also.

I've wrote a brave browser review a while ago since I switched to Brave. I have a few things that I don't like about it, but for what I need its much better than Chrome or Firefox. Moreover, if you don't like Brave - you can try Vivaldi or Opera which are both pretty good.

Test them all and pick whatever you feel better with.

[Febo]

But I think cryptominers isn't such big and dangerous thing anymore, especially when Coinhive stopped working. Also, many antivirus blocking CPU miner java scripts by default.

It is true that after Coinhive is stop working, browser mining is almost completely gone, personally I have not received any warning for months from my antivirus about that. So in a way Firefox is a bit late with that feature, but we never know if / when some similar threat may appear.

Regarding what browser is better, as a user who use Firefox for years I must say that Chrome is somewhat better in performance (faster) on my PC then Firefox, but I know that privacy protection is much better with Firefox.

Maybe it's a little weird that people use Chrome more, but it is because they use Gmail and YouTube also, and if we're being honest they don't care too much for privacy. If you use Windows 10 forget about privacy, you share a lot of data with Microsoft also.

You cant make updates so fast. Everything takes some time to do it right with as least bugs as possible.  If you want to mine in Firefox browser you still can turn that on.

[mk4]

I tried Qwant but I quit after 5 minutes. Their results are horrible, searching for something and the second result is Google and thrid is Instagram? Common!!!
Also, the duck might be a choice if searching for English results but in my language, it simply sucks, the results are either irrelevant or articles older than the internet. 

This is pretty much why I'm still forced to use Google's search engine. Their algorithm is simply just better due to the huge amounts of tracking they're doing. Brave browser's privacy features helps in this case I guess, to prevent cross-site cookies.

As with DuckDuckGo, it has the potential. But if I understand correctly, for it to have better and more relevant results, more people need to use it. But then again, not much people use it because the results relevance isn't that good. 🤷

[stompix]

I tried Qwant but I quit after 5 minutes. Their results are horrible, searching for something and the second result is Google and thrid is Instagram? Common!!!
Also, the duck might be a choice if searching for English results but in my language, it simply sucks, the results are either irrelevant or articles older than the internet. 

As with DuckDuckGo, it has the potential. But if I understand correctly, for it to have better and more relevant results, more people need to use it. But then again, not much people use it because the results relevance isn't that good. 🤷

Yeah, just like the electric car dilemma.
You don't buy a car because there are no charging stations and there are no charging stations because people don't buy electric cars.

You have to use it for them to gain revenue invest more and get better results but till that happens you can't use it because it sucks...
So they would either have to go the google way and improve the algorithms via data mining but screw the privacy or...have an ICO? lols.
And while this might happens google is growing more and take a better lead against the challengers.

People should start using Brave browser. It basically lets you decide what you want to do. Want to earn a few bucks a year for seeing ads? good. Want to block everything and surf the web faster? Good also.

The moment they asked for KYC for their shit tokens Brave lost all credibility.
I still have their browser installed but haven't touched it for a month.

[o_e_l_e_o]

Then you might want to use https://www.startpage.com/.

+1 for startpage. Another good recommendation is Searx. It is a metasearch engine - it searches 70 other searches engines and aggregates all the results. It is also open source (https://github.com/asciimoo/searx), doesn't profile or track, and you can even host your own instance of it if you really don't want to use an online one. It also has a hidden service via Tor. https://asciimoo.github.io/searx/ to read about it, or https://searx.me/ to jump right in.

I have a few things that I don't like about it, but for what I need its much better than Chrome or Firefox.

Brave used to be the best "out of the box" browser that you could just install and use with zero customization. Certainly miles ahead of Chrome, and probably ahead of Firefox too. When this self styled "privacy browser" starting asking for KYC, it lost all reputation. Firefox, however, was always a better choice for privacy and security if you are willing to take 30 minutes to configure it properly by installing about 6 or 7 add ons and tweaking a few privacy settings.

[bob123]

This is pretty much why I'm still forced to use Google's search engine. Their algorithm is simply just better due to the huge amounts of tracking they're doing. Brave browser's privacy features helps in this case I guess, to prevent cross-site cookies.

Then you might want to use https://www.startpage.com/. Basically they pay google to use google search result and preserve privacy at same time, best of both world

As with DuckDuckGo, it has the potential. But if I understand correctly, for it to have better and more relevant results, more people need to use it. But then again, not much people use it because the results relevance isn't that good. 🤷

Because their search result isn't personalized and only works well on English language.

I can highly recommend https://searx.me/ to you.
I have my own personal version of searx hosted at home.

You can configure it to use the search engines you want. It strips off any not relevant data such as browser version, OS, display configuration etc..

If you configure it to use only google, you basically have a google search without any privacy implications.
It only transmit the keyword you searched for and the language for your results to google. Nothing else.

I have mine configured to search roughly 8 search engines and i am pretty happy with the results i get. And no privacy implications at all.