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Mozilla released an optional built-in Ad Blocker for Firefox on iOS that blocks many third-party advertisements and associated trackers before they load. The feature relies on Apple WebKit Content Blocker technology and the EasyList filter list, requires no separate extension, and is disabled by default; users can enable it through Settings > Browsing > Ad Blocker.
The blocker supplements Firefox’s existing Enhanced Tracking Protection but does not remove every ad type. Advertising served directly by a visited site, sponsored search results, and Firefox-sponsored shortcuts or other sponsored new-tab content may remain visible. Firefox on desktop and Android continues to support dedicated privacy and ad-blocking extensions.
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Mozilla committed an Ad Blocker badge for the Firefox for iOS main menu, showing a checkmark or cross based on the BlockAds preference and linking users to Ad Blocker settings. The badge is gated by adBlocker and adBlockerBadge flags, with both enabled by default on beta and developer channels.
Mozilla introduced an optional built-in Ad Blocker for Firefox on iOS. The disabled-by-default feature uses Apple WebKit Content Blocker technology and EasyList to block many third-party ads and related trackers, and can be enabled in Settings > Browsing > Ad Blocker.
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Mozilla has introduced significant enhancements to its anti-fingerprinting technology in Firefox 145, initially available in Private Browsing Mode and Enhanced Tracking Protection's Strict setting. The new measures, described as 'Phase 2' protections, further restrict websites' ability to collect unique device and browser characteristics, such as local fonts, hardware details, processor core counts, touch capabilities, and dock or taskbar dimensions. These updates build on previous efforts that had already reduced user trackability, with Mozilla now estimating that only about 20% of users can be uniquely fingerprinted under the new system. The protections also standardize certain outputs, like always reporting two CPU cores and reducing available screen height, to further limit the effectiveness of fingerprinting techniques. Mozilla cautions that completely eliminating all fingerprinting signals could disrupt legitimate website functionality, so users retain the option to disable these protections on specific pages if necessary. The company plans to make these privacy features the default for all users after further testing and optimization. These updates reflect Mozilla's ongoing commitment to user privacy and its proactive approach to countering increasingly sophisticated online tracking methods.
Jul 12, 2026
Mozilla is preparing to ship new **AI privacy controls** in *Firefox 148*, including a dedicated settings section and a **global “kill switch”** (`Block AI enhancements`) intended to disable all current and future browser AI features at once. The change is positioned as a way to reduce unwanted AI prompts and to prevent AI-related data sharing via external processing/API calls; the controls are being tested in *Firefox Nightly* with feedback solicited via Mozilla’s community channels. Separately, academic researchers reported that Google Chrome’s **Manifest v3 (MV3)** extension architecture does not materially degrade ad-blocking and anti-tracking effectiveness compared with **Manifest v2 (MV2)**, based on a study published in *Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PoPETs)*. The work evaluates the practical impact of MV3’s shift away from the blocking (synchronous) `chrome.webRequest` API toward the more constrained `chrome.declarativeNetRequest` model, concluding there was **no statistically significant reduction** in blocking performance and, in some cases, slight improvements in tracker blocking.
Jun 29, 2026
Mozilla is adding new desktop-browser controls in *Firefox 148* that let users **manage or fully disable built-in generative AI features**, including a single “**Block AI enhancements**” toggle designed to turn off current and future AI capabilities in one action. When enabled, the toggle is intended to suppress AI-related prompts and notifications and prevent exposure of AI features in the UI, addressing privacy and security concerns from users and organizations that want to reduce potential attack surface introduced by AI-driven functionality. The per-feature controls allow users to independently enable/disable specific AI functions, including **page translation**, **automatic alt-text generation for images in PDFs**, **AI-assisted tab grouping**, and **link previews** that summarize destination pages before navigation. Firefox also includes an **AI chatbot sidebar** that can integrate with multiple third-party models/services (e.g., **Anthropic Claude**, **ChatGPT**, **Microsoft Copilot**, **Google Gemini**, and others), with the centralized kill switch providing an organization-friendly way to opt out of these capabilities entirely.
Jun 29, 2026