Mozilla announced that it will remove the “Do Not Track – DNT” feature that has been in the Firefox browser since 2009. According to Windows Report, this change will be valid for all users using Firefox 135 and later versions. However, Nightly users testing experimental versions may already notice that this feature is no longer available in the settings.
Firefox is not the first browser to remove the DNT feature. Apple removed this feature from the Safari browser in 2019.
Mozilla’s decision is based on an understandable justification for users who question the effectiveness of DNT. DNT is just a suggestion sent to websites through the browser. So, it tells sites not to track you, but it’s not a requirement. Nowadays, most websites ignore this request, so the DNT function is disabled. Mozilla’s support page has also been updated to reflect this change.
Mozilla offers an alternative solution to Firefox users
Instead of DNT, Mozilla recommends users use the “Tell websites not to sell or share my data” option. This feature uses the Global Privacy Control (GPC) protocol, which is supported by more websites and required in some jurisdictions.
For users looking for more privacy, GPC may not be an adequate solution. In addition to Mozilla’s recommendations, it can be useful to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to increase online privacy. VPNs encrypt user data, making online activities harder to track, and offer an overall privacy solution.
This decision by Firefox is considered a step taken to bring the privacy features used in the browser into line with today’s standards. However, it seems inevitable that additional steps will be taken to provide more privacy options for users.