6.11 Enable Tracking Protection - privacy.donottrackheader.enabled

Information

These settings configures what is allowed to be tracked by websites to which the browser connects.

Rationale:

Enabling do not track instructs the browser to send an optional header in HTTP requests made from the app that indicates a preference not to be tracked by websites. This optional header is voluntary in nature, having no method to enforce adherence and providing no guarantee that web sites will honor the preference. However, a large number of websites do honor it so there is privacy benefit in enabling it.

Solution

To establish the recommended configuration, set the following values to true:

privacy.donottrackheader.enabled

privacy.trackingprotection.enabled

privacy.trackingprotection.pbmode

Type about:config in the address bar

Type privacy.donottrackheader.enabled in the filter

Ensure the setting is set as prescribed.

Type privacy.trackingprotection.enabled in the filter

Ensure the setting is set as prescribed.

Type privacy.trackingprotection.pbmode in the filter

Ensure the setting is set as prescribed.

OR

Open the mozilla.cfg file in the installation directory with a text editor

Add the following lines to mozilla.cfg:

lockPref('privacy.donottrackheader.enabled', true);
lockPref('privacy.trackingprotection.enabled', true);
lockPref('privacy.trackingprotection.pbmode', true);

Default Value:

privacy.donottrackheader.enabled=false

privacy.trackingprotection.enabled = false

privacy.trackingprotection.pbmode = false

Additional Information:

privacy.trackingprotection.pbmode is only available on FF43 and up (ESR is at v38). Leaving here because it does no harm and this benchmark is likely to be used by many for standard version.

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/4299

Item Details

Category: CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT

References: 800-53|CM-6b.

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: 3e4b2307172a7203faac9b6c3680b787e1415ee75afd034642cec61dfdac0003