FIREFOX

CONTENT

SUMMARY TLDR

This part summarizes the recommended options that are important to define for more privacy. You find these options here: ☰ → Settings.

☑ Enable | ☐ Disable | ☒ Personal Choice | More Info | Warning

SEARCH

☒ DEFAULT SEARCH ENGINE
    Prefer a privacy focused search engine like DuckDuckGo as default search engine since it is already installed in Firefox.

☐ SEARCH SUGGESTIONS
    ☐ Disable ALL search suggestions

PRIVACY

☑ ENHANCED TRACKING PROTECTION
    ☑ Set ETP to Strict

☑ COOKIES AND SITE DATA
    ☑ Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed

☐ HISTORY
Firefox will [Use custom settings for history]
    ☒ Always use private browsing mode
         ☐ Remember browsing and download history
         ☐ Remember search and form history
         ☑ Clear history when Firefox closes

☒ PERMISSIONS
    ☒ Block Location
    ☒ Block Camera
    ☒ Block Microphone
    ☒ Block Notifications
    ☒ Block Autoplay [Audio and Video]
    ☒ Block Virtual Reality
    ☑ Block pop-up windows
    ☑ Warn you when websites try to install add-ons

☐ FIREFOX DATA COLLECTION AND USE (TELEMETRY)
    ☐ Allow Firefox to send technical and interaction data to Mozilla
    ☐ Allow Firefox to install and run studies
    ☐ Allow Firefox to send backlogged crash reports on your behalf

WEBSITE ADVERTISING PREFERENCES

☐ Allow webites to perform privacy-preserving ad measurement

SECURITY

☐ DECEPTIVE CONTENT AND DANGEROUS SOFTWARE PROTECTION (SAFE BROWSING)
    ☐ Block dangerous and deceptive content
         ☐ Block dangerous downloads
         ☐ Warn you about unwanted and uncommon software

☑ HTTPS-ONLY MODE
    ☑ Enable HTTPS-Only Mode in all windows

☒ DNS OVER HTTPS
    Prefer a reliable and privacy focused DNS like AdGuard DNS, Mullvad DNS or Quad9.
    ☒ https://dns.adguard.com/dns-query
    ☒ https://extended.dns.mullvad.net/dns-query
    ☒ https://dns.quad9.net/dns-query

ADVANCED ABOUT:CONFIG

☒ ABOUT:CONFIG
    ☒ Enable Resist Fingerprinting Protection → privacy.resistFingerprinting = true
    ☒ Disable Safe Browsing checks for downloads (remote) → browser.safebrowsing.downloads.remote.enabled = false

ACCESS FIREFOX SETTINGS

Open the menu by clicking the ☰ burger icon at the top right, then click on Settings.
Or you can type about:preferences in the adress bar.

GENERAL

Digital Right Management (DRM) Content

Uncheck Play DRM-controlled content, under Digital Rights Management (DRM) Content.
DRM is a limitation to user freedom. Read about it.

Play DRM-contrrolled content

HOME

New Windows and Tabs

Prefer a clean Blank Page on Homepage and new windows and New tabs. Or use custom URLs. Or even better, if you know HTML, make your own home page!

Firefox Home Content

We suggest to uncheck everything in Firefox Home Content, Web Search is useless if you search via the adress bar (CTRL + L).

Web Search

Shortcuts
    Sites you save or visit
    Sponsored shortcuts

Recent activity
    A selection of recent sites and content
    Visited Pages
    Bookmarks
    Most Recent Download
    Pages Saved to Pocket

Snippets
    Tips and news from Mozilla and Firefox

SEARCH

Prefer to switch to a more privacy-friendly search engine like DuckDuckGo, Startpage or Brave Search rather than Google as the default search engine. You can use Bangs shortcuts if needed.

Default Search Engine

Brave Saerch DuckDuckGo Startpage

Search Suggestions

We do not need suggestions so we uncheck all.

Provide search suggestions
    Show suggestions in adress bar results
    Show sugestions ahead of browsing history in adress bar results
    Show suggestions in Private Windows

BROWSER PRIVACY

Enhanced Tracking Protection

We recommend that you set the Enhanced Tracking Protection on Strict, which includes:
· Total Cookie Protection (dFPI) · Smart Block · Enhanced Cookie Clearing · Query Parameter Stripping.

Standard
    Balanced for protection and performance. Pages will load normally.

Strict
    Stronger protection, but may cause some sites or content to break.
      Firefox blocks the following:
        · Social media trackers
        · Cross-site cookies in all windows
        · Tracking content in all windows
        · Cryptominers
        · Known and suspected fingerprinters
⚠ Heads up!
This setting may cause some websites to not display content or work correctly.
If a site seems broken, you may want to turn off tracking protection for that site to load all content.

Custom
    Choose which trackers and scripts to block.

Website Privacy Preferences

No need to worry about the Do Not Track signal, Firefox sends it with ETP set to strict, unfortunately, it's often stated that most trackers don't comply with it and is used as a fingerprinting signal.

Tell websites not to sell or share my data
Send websites a “Do Not Track” request

Cookies and Site Data

We set Firefox to delete cookies, site data and cache when it is closed.
Check Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed.
Click [Clear Data...].

Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed

Logins and Passwords

We recommend to disable the Firefox password manager and use a better and more secure solution like Bitwarden or KeePassXC.

Ask to save logins and passwords for websites
    Autofill logins and passwords
    Suggest and generate strong passwords
    Show alerts about passwords for breached websites
Use a Primary Password
   Formerly known as Master Password
Allow Windows single sign-on for Microsoft, work, and school accounts
    Manage accounts in your device settings

History

We set Firefox to clear history when it closes.
Choose [Use custom settings for history] in the drop down menu, then click the [Settings] button to check all options in Settings for Clearing History.
Click [Clear History].

Firefox will Remeber history Never remember history Use custom settings for history

Address Bar

We recommend to uncheck all except the ones you need.
A useful choice would be Bookmarks.

When using the adress bar, suggest

Browsing history
Bookmarks
Open tabs
Shortcuts
Search engines

Permissions

We suggest to block ALL permissions access and new requests to get access to our device.
(Location, Camera, Microphone, Notifications, Autoplay Audio & Video, Virtual Reality).
Check "Block pop-up windows" and "Warn you when website try to install add-ons".
Click on the permission [Settings] button, at right.

On each of the settings above, click on the [Settings] button, in the new window, check "Block new requests asking to..." at the bottom of the page, then [Save Changes]. Do this for all the items!

Open the Autoplay permissions settings and set [Block Audio and Video] as default for all websites, then click on [Save Changes].

Firefox Data Collection and Use

Uncheck all "Firefox Data Collection and Use" to disable Firefox telemetry.

Allow Firefox to send technical and interaction data to Mozilla
    Allow Firefox to make personalized extension recommendations
Allow Firefox to install and run studies
Allow Firefox to send backlogged crash reports on your behalf

WEBSITE ADVERTISING PREFERENCES

We prefer disable the "FirefoxPrivacy-Preserving Attribution (PPA)", because sites and advertisers may use the built-in feature for tracking.

Allow webites to perform privacy-preserving ad measurement

SECURITY

Deceptive Content and Dangerous Software Protection

We prefer disable the "Deceptive Content and Dangerous Software Protection", because the guide is privacy focused, but it is your choice, privacy or security...

Block dangerous and deceptive content
    Block dangerous downloads
    Warn you about unwanted and uncommon software

HTTPS-Only Mode

We enable HTTPS-Only Mode in all windows.

This setting makes the extensions like "HTTPS Everywhere" redundant.

Enable HTTPS-Only Mode in all windows
Enable HTTPS-Only Mode in private windoes only
Don't enable HTTPS-Only Mode

DNS over HTTPS

We recommend that you set the Domain Name System (DNS) over HTTPS to Off, and use the one you set on your system or router level. DoH should be at operating system level or router level, not browser based!

Enable secure DNS using:

Default Protection
    Firefox decides when to use secure DNS to protect your privacy.

Increased Protection
    You control when to use secure DNS and choose your provider.

Max Protection
    Firefox will always use secure DNS. You’ll see a security risk warning before we use your system DNS.

Off
    Use your default DNS resolver

SYNC

Firefox Accounts password is the basis of the encryption key, if you have no devices left with your logins and you need to reset your Firefox Accounts password, then all your synced data is lost, logins included.

CONCLUSION

Nowadays, you will get most of the privacy possible with Firefox's built-in solutions, such as:

• HTTPS-Only Mode
• State Partitioning
• Network Partitioning
• Total Cookie Protection (dFPI / Dynamic First Party Isolation)
• Enhanced Cookie Clearing along with sanitizing^[1] on close
• Site Isolation (Fission)
• CRLite
• and many more

^[1] Sanitizing refers to clearing site and other data such as caches and histories.

For most people, that's all you really need, with the help of a few select extensions.

Sources: To Arkenfox or Not | Privacy Guides Browser Recommendations

ADVANCED SETTINGS (about:config)

Use advanced settings to customize Firefox deeper or enable/disable hidden features.
For those who know what they are doing!

To access the advanced preferences in Firefox, type about:config into the adress bar.
Then click [Accept the Risk and Continue].
Type the preference in the search field to modify its value, on the right side of the list.

BACKUP YOUR PROFILE

Before changing your settings, it is strongly recommended that you backup your profile and start a new profile.

To backup your profile you need to access the profiles manager page by typing: about:profiles into the adress bar.

Click on Open Folder on the Root Directory. There are some important files you want to keep.

EXTENSIONS

By default, extensions are not enabled in Private Browsing mode and when you set Firefox to "Never remember history"!

The add-ons listed below are what we believe to be the best in their class. ⭐ are highly recommended.
For more add-ons, you can check the official Addons Mozilla Org, but remember, the less extensions you use, the better!

ALTERNATIVES / FORKS

If you want Firefox without Mozilla (web browser projects based on Firefox), or a more privacy-focused experience by default, there are alternatives.

USER.JS

/* The user.js file is a configuration file that allows you to customize and harden your Firefox browser settings. It’s a JavaScript file that stores user preferences and is loaded each time Firefox starts. The user.js file must be placed in your profile directory. Type about:profiles in your adress bar and click Open Directory under Root Directory to located it. */

// Add the line below to your user.js file to replace the default DOH provider list with more reliable ones. Adguard, DNS0, LibreDNS, Mullvad, Quad9. More info on these DNS providers / resolvers.

user_pref("doh-rollout.provider-list", "[{\"UIName\":\"Quad9\",\"uri\":\"https://dns.quad9.net/dns-query\"},{\"UIName\":\"AdGuard (adblocking)\",\"uri\":\"https://dns.adguard-dns.com/dns-query\"},{\"UIName\":\"DNS0\",\"uri\":\"https://dns0.eu\"},{\"UIName\":\"DNS0 Zero\",\"uri\":\"https://zero.dns0.eu/\"},{\"UIName\":\"DNS0 Kids\",\"uri\":\"hhttps://kids.dns0.eu/\"},{\"UIName\":\"LibreDNS (adblocking)\",\"uri\":\"https://doh.libredns.gr/noads\"},{\"UIName\":\"Mullvad Base\",\"uri\":\"https://base.dns.mullvad.net/dns-query\"},{\"UIName\":\"Mullvad All\",\"uri\":\"https://all.dns.mullvad.net/dns-query\"}]");

// Force the use of a particular DNS provider, in this case Mullvad All, that blocks: Ads, Trackers, Malware, Adult, Gambling, Social media.

user_pref("network.trr.custom_uri", "https://all.dns.mullvad.net/dns-query");
user_pref("network.trr.mode", 3);
user_pref("network.trr.uri", "https://all.dns.mullvad.net/dns-query");


// Disable security.fileuri.strict_origin_policy. If you do development and work with local files, you need to have this pref disabled.

user_pref("security.fileuri.strict_origin_policy", false);


Add your own user_pref("preference", value) using the advanced settings section above.

Firefox Profilemaker is a tool that will help you to create a Firefox profile with the defaults you like.

LINKS

• Cookies Preferences in Mozilla
• Storage access policy
• Dynamic First Party Isolation
• State Partitioning
• Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) 2.0
• Enhanced Tracking Protection by Default
• Total Cookie Protection (Dynamic First Party Isolation dFPI)
• Enhanced Cookie Clearing
• Site Isolation
• Clear cookies and site data in Firefox
• Encrypted Client Hello
• Global Privacy Control
• PrivacyTests
• searchengine.party
• 5 privacy-focused alternative search engines to Google