Mozilla Firefox can now automatically remove tracking from URLs

SAN FRANCISCO: Mozilla's latest Firefox browser update has a new feature that prevents sites like Facebook from tracking users across websites.

According to Bleeping Computer, Mozilla Firefox 102 was released with a new privacy feature that strips parameters from URLs that are used to track users around the web.

Numerous companies, including Facebook, Marketo, Olytics, and HubSpot, utilise custom URL query parameters to track clicks on links.

For example, Facebook appends a fbclid query parameter to outbound links to track clicks, the report said.

With the release of Firefox 102, Mozilla has added the new 'Query Parameter Stripping' feature that automatically strips various query parameters used for tracking from URLs when you open them, whether that be by clicking on a link or simply pasting the URL into the address bar.

The new feature is part of Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection.

To enable Query Parameter Stripping, go into the Firefox Settings, click on Privacy and Security, and then change 'Enhanced Tracking Protection' to 'Strict'. However, these tracking parameters will not be stripped in Private Mode even with Strict mode enabled.