How To Use Firefox Privacy Settings to Make Your Browsing Secure

Surfing the web feels treacherous when malicious trackers follow your every move. They profile your behaviors, shopping habits, interests, and more – piece by piece constructing an advertising profile. Before you know it, "harmless" data collection snowballs into full-blown surveillance.

Luckily, Firefox empowers you to control online data gathering. With a few tweaks to settings and extensions, you can browse freely without feeling stalked.

In this guide, I’ll share expert techniques to transform Firefox into an anonymous browser. You‘ll learn how tracking works, which settings stop it, and how to configure different levels of privacy:

• The hidden privacy risks in normal web surfing
• Step-by-step settings changes for total tracking protection
• How each Firefox privacy feature works under the hood
• Advanced ‘about:config’ modifications for superusers
• Must-have extensions like VPNs and password managers
• Troubleshooting website breakage caused by privacy protections
• Firefox compared to Tor Browser, Brave, and other alternatives
• Customizing based on your level of technical skill

With some simple changes, you can take control and browse the web freely without constantly being watched.

Online Trackers Are Inescapable…by Default

Imagine you‘re browsing the web normally without specialized privacy tools. As you move between websites, dozens of hidden third parties are profiling your interests based on the articles you read and products you view.

Advertisers covet this tracking data because it lets them micro-target you with related ads across the internet. But companies are sharing and aggregating your web history into alarmingly complete profiles.

Even if you‘re not logged into any accounts, these sneaky techniques record your activity:

Browser Fingerprinting

Websites can create a unique fingerprint to identify you based on your:

• Device properties – OS, screen size, CPU cores
• Browser settings – language, time zone, extensions
• Fonts installed – used to track users across different browsers

Researchers have identified millions of potential fingerprinting combinations, making fingerprints as identifying as cookies.

Tracking Cookies

Ad platforms like Google and Facebook deposit cookies recording everywhere you visit so they can target behavioral ads. Some cookies sync data across devices.

Advertising IDs

Mobile apps use unique advertising IDs similar to cookies to compile profiles based on in-app activity.

WebRTC IP Leaks

The WebRTC standard exposes your real public IP address for peer-to-peer communication. Websites can harvest this to geolocate you.

Browser Cryptomining

Crooked websites hijack your computing power to mine cryptocurrency without permission. This drains device batteries.

Based on your web history, companies assign you to interest, demographic, and political categories for advertisers. Tech platforms enable nonconsensual mass surveillance through unregulated data collection.

But Firefox gives you tools to fight back…

Step 1: Use Private Search Engines

Google logs your searches to refine their tracking profile of you. So switching your default search engine is an easy win for privacy:

1. Click the menu button (three lines) in the top right
2. Select Settings > Search
3. Under Default Search Engine, pick a private option like DuckDuckGo

Now when you search in the address bar or tabs, Firefox won‘t send queries to Google by default.

DuckDuckGo doesn‘t record user information. Other alternative search engines like Startpage provide anonymous views of Google results.

To take it a step further, go into Settings > Search and uncheck options for "Search Suggestions" and "Show Search Tips." This prevents search terms from being sent to providers.

Step 2: Enable Enhanced Tracking Protection

Firefox‘s Enhanced Tracking Protection automatically blocks known ad, analytics, and social trackers. Enable the strict setting for full protection:

1. Click the shield icon ⛑️ next to the address bar
2. Select Protection Settings > Strict

In Strict mode, Enhanced Tracking Protection applies to all windows – not just private browsing. The custom setting lets you fine-tune exactly what is blocked.

Here‘s what Enhanced Tracking Protection blocks in Strict mode:

Category	Blocked by Default?
Cryptominers	Yes
Fingerprinters	Yes
Tracking content	Yes
Cross-site tracking cookies	Yes
Social media trackers	Yes

This prevents companies from compiling browsing profiles on you as you move between websites.

Social trackers like Facebook‘s Like and Share buttons track everywhere you visit that has them embedded. Strict mode thwarts this.

Step 3: Tell Sites Not to Track You

Even if you switch search engines and enable tracker blocking, websites may still try profiling you.

Enable Do Not Track in Firefox to request sites don‘t collect your data:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security
2. Toggle on Send websites a "Do Not Track" signal

This sends the DNT:1 header when requesting pages telling sites not to monitor your activity.

Unfortunately websites aren‘t legally required to comply with Do Not Track requests (only some do). But it provides an extra layer of protection against behavioral tracking and profiling.

Step 4: Stop Sending Data to Mozilla

By default Firefox shares your browsing data with Mozilla through telemetry. Disable this:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security
2. Uncheck Allow Firefox to send technical data to Mozilla

This stops Firefox from collecting analytics on your usage including:

• Number of open tabs and windows
• Webpage visits
• Installed extensions
• Technical data like OS, Firefox version, crashes

Supposedly Mozilla deletes your data after 30 days if you opt-out. But preventing collection entirely is more secure.

Step 5: Clear Cache, Cookies, and History

Each website you interact with makes deposits to your browser‘s cache, cookies, and history, retaining forensic traces of your activity.

Clear this locally stored data to cover your tracks:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
2. Click Clear Data
3. Check all boxes and select Clear to wipe this data

Leave the cookie checkbox unchecked if you want to stay logged into accounts. Clear this data every 1-2 weeks for privacy.

Advanced Tweaks for Paranoid Anonymity

For stronger anonymity, Firefox provides advanced customizations through about:config. Type about:config in the address bar then modify:

privacy.resistFingerprinting

Spoofs and blocks browser fingerprinting including canvas, font enumeration, and browser metadata. Changes these properties to make you look generic.

geo.enabled

Prevents websites from requesting access to your location. Default is true (enabled).

dom.event.clipboardevents.enabled

Stops websites from monitoring your clipboard contents. Changes value to false.

media.peerconnection.enabled

Disables WebRTC which leaks local network address. WebRTC will no longer function.

network.cookie.cookieBehavior

Determines cookie behavior with values:

• 0 = Accept all cookies by default
• 1 = Only accept 1st party cookies
• 2 = Block all cookies by default
• 3 = Block 3rd party cookies from unvisited websites

Set cookieBehavior to 1 or 3 for best privacy.

About:config tweaks require care since they can break sites or Firefox functionality.

Complement Protection with Extensions

To reinforce Firefox‘s built-in protections, use privacy-focused addons:

VPN

Encrypts traffic so your ISP can‘t see your activity. Masks IP address and provides anonymous browsing. Top options:

• Surfshark – Unlimited devices. Starts at $2.49/month.
• NordVPN – 5200+ servers. Starts at $3.49/month.
• ProtonVPN – Technically audited service based in Switzerland. Starts at $4/month.

Ad Blockers

Block ads and stop companies from tracking you across sites. Flags harmful ads before they load. Top picks:

• uBlock Origin – Open source, lightweight on CPU. Easy mode for beginners.
• Ghostery – Blocks 2k+ trackers. Provides tracker visualization.
• AdGuard – Works across browsers and devices. Free and paid tiers.

Password Manager

Securely generate, store, and fill strong unique passwords. Must-have options:

• Bitwarden – Open source password manager. Free online version.
• 1Password – Award-winning password manager for individuals and families. Starts at $2.99/month.
• LastPass – Offers free tier with all core features. Premium adds support and advanced features.

How Private is Firefox vs. Other Browsers?

Comparing Firefox to Tor Browser:

Tor Browser offers stronger out-of-box privacy than Firefox through onion routing and always-on protections. But Tor is significantly slower than Firefox due to traffic relaying through the Tor network.

Firefox can be configured to close the privacy gap with Tor via extensions and about:config tweaks. For daily browsing, I prefer Firefox‘s speed and convenience while locking down privacy settings.

Comparing Firefox to Brave:

Brave blocks ads and trackers by default with no settings changes needed. Brave‘s fingerprint randomization also makes it difficult for sites to identify your browser.

However, Firefox offers greater transparency as open source software. Brave is based on Chromium which some view as problematic due to Google‘s influence. I trust Mozilla‘s mission to build a safer browser more than a startup like Brave.

Comparing Firefox to Chrome or Edge:

Chrome and Edge do not prioritize user privacy. Chrome sends browsing data to Google by default for exploitation. Edge shares telemetry data with Microsoft and still allows most tracking out of the box.

Only Firefox gives users granular control to disable data collection through about:config tweaks not possible in Chrome/Edge. Firefox is the only major browser not tied to an advertising business model.

Fine-Tuning Site Breakage Workarounds

If a site breaks due to Enhanced Tracking Protection or other privacy settings, you can selectively disable protections for that domain:

1. Click the shield icon ⛑️ next to the URL
2. Toggle Off the switch for that specific website
3. Refresh the page – the site will reload with protections disabled

You can also customize protections instead of fully disabling them:

1. Expand the Custom settings panel
2. Enable individual trackers or cookies as needed to make the site functional

Take the least invasive approach needed to make the site usable again.

Balancing Privacy Across Your Online Presence

While securing your browser is crucial, don‘t neglect other aspects of your digital life. Apply the same privacy precautions across all devices and services:

Mobile Devices

Install browser-level protections like ad blockers on mobile. Leverage VPNs to encrypt traffic. Limit app permissions and disable unused location services. Regularly clear app cache/data.

Search Engines

Use alternative private search engines not just in your browser but also for mobile app searches. Limit search history tracking.

Social Media

Review account security settings. Limit profile visibility, ad targeting preferences, and app permissions. Be selective in sharing personal data publicly.

Smart Home Devices

Disable microphone access for assistants when not in use. Opt out of speech recording where possible. Connect IoT devices to a separate firewalled network.

Cloud Storage

Enable two-factor authentication on cloud accounts. Review files/folders for sensitive data and restrict permissions. Fully wipe files before disposal. Encrypt files locally first before uploading for added security.

Passwords

Never reuse passwords across accounts. Use a password manager to generate and store strong unique passwords for all logins. Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible.

Take Your Privacy Back from Big Tech

Online surveillance is rampant but Firefox makes controlling your data possible. I hope this guide provides both simple first steps and advanced techniques to maximize Firefox‘s built-in privacy protections.

Blocking trackers takes ongoing vigilance. But a few tweaks goes a long way towards deleting the browsing profiles companies have compiled on you. Firefox is powerful but only if you take the time to restrict its data collection and encryption settings.

The web becomes exponentially less creepy when your activity isn‘t constantly being spied on. Here‘s to taking back your privacy!