Mozilla Firefox Enhances Privacy by Blocking HTTP Referrer Tracking

Mozilla Firefox has updated its Referrer Policy to better protect user information. The latest version of the browser will now automatically remove URL data that could allow websites to track certain user activities.

Browsers send HTTP referrers to websites, providing information about where a user is coming from. While this data can be useful for analytics or cache optimization, it is not always secure. For example, if a user clicks a link from a password reset page, that link (including private information) could be exposed to unintended parties. Technical expert Vadim Misbakh-Solovyov from RosKomSvoboda explains that referrers can also reveal which content a user is viewing on the referring website and may even include account information. Referrer Policy settings are designed to control exactly what information is shared with websites.

Since 2016, after the widespread shift from HTTP to the more secure HTTPS protocol, referrers have posed less of a threat. However, they can still leak significant personal data. The new “strict-origin-when-cross-origin” policy in Firefox 87 completely strips any personal information from URLs when users navigate between sites.

“Firefox will apply the new Referrer Policy by default to all navigation requests, redirected requests, and subresource requests (such as images, styles, and scripts), ensuring a much more private browsing experience,” the company stated.

Previously, Google Chrome also introduced a stricter default Referrer Policy starting with version 85.

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