Firefox is testing out a significant privacy upgrade
GPC is currently available in Firefox Nightly
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Firefoxis set to join the growing number ofweb browsersthat are adding a “do not sell my personal data” signal referred to as global privacy control (GPC).
GPC is implemented as a browser setting that sends a signal to notify websites of the visitor’s privacy preferences, including whether they want their personal information to be sold or shared.
“At this moment, GPC is a prerelease feature available for experimental use in Firefox Nightly. Once turned on, it sends a signal to the websites users visit telling them that the user doesn’t want to be tracked and doesn’t want their data to be sold,”explained Mozilla.
We’re looking at how our readers use VPNs with streaming sites like Netflix so we can improve our content and offer better advice. This survey won’t take more than 60 seconds of your time, and we’d hugely appreciate if you’d share your experiences with us.
Click here to start the survey in a new window«
GPC is getting traction both in California and in Colorado, according to Mozilla, with California insisting that companies areobligated to honor the signalunder the state’s consumer privacy law.
GDPR Part Deux
GPC is a collaborative effort by privacy-focused organizations and advocates, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Consumer Reports.
It is often touted as a successor to the “Do Not Track” signal, which couldn’t get enough momentum behind it to force companies to honour it. GPC, however, has already found takers with US states such as California mandating adherence.
Mozilla’s CTO Eric Rescorla told theWashington Postthat Firefox didn’t adopt the signal right away, to see what sort of impact it would have, to avoid making privacy promises that don’t hold water.
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!
GPC is already available in several other web browsers such asBrave, andprivacy-centric browser add-onsincluding Disconnect andDuckDuckGo. However,Google Chrome, which has the largest market share, is conspicuous by its absence from the list of GPC wielding browsers.
If you want to keep your online activities to yourself, browse the internet through aproxy serviceor better still via aVPN service.
With almost two decades of writing and reporting on Linux, Mayank Sharma would like everyone to think he’sTechRadar Pro’sexpert on the topic. Of course, he’s just as interested in other computing topics, particularly cybersecurity, cloud, containers, and coding.
Phishing attacks surge in 2024 as cybercriminals adopt AI tools and multi-channel tactics
This new phishing strategy utilizes GitHub comments to distribute malware
Smeg Combi Steam Oven review: a multi-functional countertop oven that looks stunning and cooks well
