Mozilla's new Firefox feature blocks cross-site cookie tracking

Total Cookie Protection creates a separate 'cookie jar' for each website, preventing users from being tracked across the web

Mozilla has released Firefox 86 for Windows, Macs, and Linux machines, adding a new feature to prevent cookies from tracking users' movements across the web.

The new Total Cookie Protection privacy option works by creating separate cookie jars for each website visited by users.

Cookies are text files a browser stores on a computer when visiting a website. Although these files are designed to speed up users' web browsing, they can also be used to identify a system and to monitor users' online activities without their consent.

The new security feature is available as part of Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) functionality, and can be enabled by setting the browser to ETP Strict Mode.

Mozilla has, however, provided a limited exception for cross-site cookies when they are needed for non-tracking purposes - for example, those used by third-party login providers.

Such limited exceptions will allow for strong privacy protection without impacting a user's browsing experience, Mozilla says.

Mozilla has addedTotal Cookie Protection about a month after the addition of 'Supercookies Protections' in Firefox 85.

The company says using these functions together will prevent websites from being able to 'tag' a browser, thereby eliminating the most widespread cross-site tracking technique.

'In combining Total Cookie Protection with last month's supercookie protections, Firefox is now armed with very strong, comprehensive protection against cookie tracking,' the company said.

The Firefox's latest release also includes support for multiple picture-in-picture (PIP) views. As the name suggests, the feature enables users to watch multiple videos at the same time.