Firefox Updated To v42 With Tracking Protection (Basically An Ad-Blocker)

Google rolls out new versions of Chrome all the time, but Mozilla is no slouch when it comes to Firefox. Version 42 of Firefox is hitting the stable channel with a number of important changes and improvements, but right at the top of the list is a revamped private browsing mode with a feature called Tracking Protection. It's basically a built-in ad-blocker.

Here's the full changelog for Firefox v42.

New:

• Private Browsing with Tracking Protection blocks certain Web elements that could be used to record your behavior across sites
• Open external URLs from Android apps in the background
• Family-friendly browsing for Android when users create a restricted profile on tablets
• Use scrollable tabs for panels navigation
• Support direct voice input for searching from the URL bar
• Mobile login manager (about:logins) lists all saved logins and allows users to view/edit or delete logins

Changed:

• Improved performance on interactive websites that trigger a lot of restyles

HMTL5:

• Implemented ES6 Reflect
• Support ImageBitmap and createImageBitmap()
• Media Source Extension for HTML5 video available for all sites

Developer:

• Remote website debugging over WiFi (no USB cable or ADB needed)

Fixed:

• Various security fixes

Mozilla says Tracking Protection is designed to block web elements that send information to third parties. That could mean tracking cookies, social sharing buttons, and yes, ads. When you load a website in a private browsing tab in the new Firefox, it won't have any of those elements. There are no configuration options for Tracking Protection, it's just on or off.  You can grab the latest version from the Play Store right now.

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