Firefox 59 right around the corner - new privacy and security features
Mozilla Firefox 59 is expected to be released the second week of March. Firefox is already a pretty secure web browser, but version 59 looks like it's going to be even more focused on privacy and security.
In the Preferences window there is a Permissions section that lets you choose which websites to allow access to your camera, microphone and location. In version 59, Mozilla adds a new option that lets you block all requests that asks for permission to use your camera, microphone or location. Same with notifications.
In the 59.0beta release notes Mozilla writes "Added new settings in about:preferences that allow you to stop intrusive websites from asking you to receive notifications or access advanced device features such as camera and geolocation, while still allowing websites you trust to use these features".
I think this is a good feature they are adding. I'm always annoyed when websites bug me about wanting to use different devices. When I browse the Internet, my default is that I don't trust any website, so to be able to stop websites from asking me this by default is great.
How many of you use Firefox as your main browser? I do. I've used it as my main browser for as long as I can remember, but I know I'm in the minority. Chrome is only used for sites that somehow doesn't work properly on Firefox and Linux. Luckily that's not too many. According to netmarketshare.com, Firefox only has 12.52% market share. Chrome is really dominating the browser market with 59.42%. I hope that Firefox will become more popular again, I really believe it's a strong browser that deserves a larger user base.