URLs can be shared very easily, and this is the reason why many companies are deploying trackers with them.
Companies can create custom URL query parameters to track clicks on links they share on the web. For example, Facebook appends a fbclid query parameter to outbound links it wants to track clicks with, with an example of one of these URLs shown below.
https://www.example.com/?fbclid=IwAR4HesRZLT-fxhhh3nZ7WKsOpaiFzsg4nH0K4WLRHw1h467GdRjaLilWbLs.
Mozilla Firefox is a web browser that has gone way beyond just a tool to browse the web, and to also encompass tools to improve user security and privacy.
With the release of Firefox 102, Mozilla has added what it calls the 'Query Parameter Stripping' feature.
What it does, is automatically stripping various query parameters used for tracking from URLs whenever users open them, whether that be by clicking on a link or simply pasting the URL into the address bar.
When this feature is enabled, Firefox will strip the following tracking parameters from URLs:
- Olytics:
oly_enc_id=,oly_anon_id= - Drip:
__s= - Vero:
vero_id= - HubSpot:
_hsenc= - Marketo:
mkt_tok= - Facebook:
fbclid=,mc_eid=
The Query Parameter Stripping feature is part of Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection.
To enable this feature, users can go into Firefox Settings, click on Privacy & Security, and then change 'Enhanced Tracking Protection' to 'Strict.'
It's worth noting though, that the feature will not remove tracking parameters when users use Firefox in Private Mode, even when Strict mode is enabled.
To also enable the feature in Private Mode, enter about:config in the address bar, search for strip, and set the 'privacy.query_stripping.enabled.pbmode' option to true.
While the Query Parameter Stripping feature is certainly an improvement to privacy, it should be noted that setting Enhanced Tracking Protection to Strict could cause issues when visiting particular sites.
If this happens, users can revert the change, or just set the Enhanced Tracking Protection back to Standard, which will disable the Query Parameter Stripping feature.
Or, users can select Custom setting, which allow users to do some tweaking on their own.
This Query Parameter Stripping feature should work well alongside other Firefox privacy features, like its anti-trackers that include cross-site cookies blockers and web fingerprints blockers.