Brits could use Firefox browser’s new ‘super private mode’ to avoid the UK porn block
SUPER private browsing mode could be coming to Firefox and it might help people to bypass the UK porn block, which starts in July.
Mozilla, the company behind Firefox, thinks that current private modes don’t do enough to protect users from malware, spyware and data harvesters but could also unintentionally be aiding users in getting onto blocked sites with its proposed update.
According to Mozilla, regular private modes are not as private as you would think.
It plans to tackle this issue by embedding Tor connectivity into Firefox.
Tor, which stands for The Onion Router, is a worldwide network that was invented to protect identity online and enables you to browse the internet anonymously.
This tech was originally developed with the US Navy and works by re-routing and encrypting your internet traffic, including searches and visited websites, across Tor servers all over the world.
When websites are rerouted by Tor to servers in different countries it is not possible to know what your IP address is and therefore what country your computer is in.
This could mean that people using Tor on Firefox to access adult websites won’t be asked for ID when the ban comes into place because the website won’t register that the user is in the UK.
Although Mozilla are now working to combine Tor into Firefox automatically, you could technically download Tor software yourself right now.
To do this you need to download the “Tor browser bundle” from the Tor project website, which will automatically add a Firefox browser to your desktop.
Using this version of Firefox will protect you somewhat more than other browsers but it won’t be 100% effective if you log into Gmail, Facebook, or any other website that requires a login.
The new version of Firefox with Tor built in might be able to rectify this.
Another downside of ‘super private browsing’ is that rerouting everything through Tor can have a negative impact on browser performance and can cause problems such as slow page loading times.
Mozilla is hoping to create a new version of Firefox with Tor that overcomes this issue and works at fast speeds.
Web browsers – which ones are the most popular?
Here's the global share your favourite browsers hold on desktop devices in 2018, according to Statcounter...
- Google Chrome – 67.63%
- Mozilla Firefox – 10.97%
- Internet Explorer – 7.02%
- Apple Safari – 5.13%
- Micorosft Edge – 4.24%
- Opera – 2.48%
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In other news, the UK porn block now starting on July 15 and will force all Brits to hand over ID for access to adult sites.
Incognito Mode is coming to Google Maps – stopping Google from keeping a log of your movements.
And, Amazon has been accused of violating the privacy of youngsters with its Alexa-powered Echo speakers.
Do you think ‘super private browsing’ is a good idea? Let us know in the comments…
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