Tech

Microsoft pushes Edge into Anti-Tracking Bandwagon like its Rival Mozilla

Published

5 years ago

July 5, 2019

Microsoft added an anti-tracking expertise to Edge. It followed the lead of Mozilla. And it calls the feature “Tracking prevention”. Much like its rival Mozilla and Apple, Microsoft introduced this feature which blocks being tracked.
Brandon Maslen, the senior software engineer, and Ryan Cropp, software engineer wrote in a company blog – “Tracking prevention is designed to protect you from being tracked by websites that you aren’t accessing directly.”

This feature is a new one that Microsoft added. But it is hidden. You can find this option by typing edge://flags in the address bar. To activate this option you need to select enabled as the setting for the Microsoft Edge tracking prevention. And relaunch the browser which begins stymying trackers. If you are unable to do so, you can take help of companies like Right Hand Technology Group, that provide managed IT services for all such issues.

You can also decide if you want the tracking prevention to be aggressive. You can dial it up a notch or dial it down. Now, Microsoft’s Canary build only has the tracking prevention. But soon its Window 10, macOS builds will have tracking prevention too.

It is not clear when the Tracking prevention becomes active. Maslen and Cropp made it sound like Microsoft was just starting to work on it. They said- “We’ll use your feedback on this experiment feature in the canary and Dev channels to understand potential impact to web compatibility and iterate on the experience to be helpful and easy to use.”

Mozilla worked years on its anti-tracking system. And after improving it, it felt free to turn the feature on by default. Working on this defensive technology takes time, and so Mozilla took some time to perfect it. Now, that Microsoft just started it, it has a long way to go.

The reason why Microsoft upped its game is because Washington Post deemed Mozilla to be the best browser able to tackle trackers. That is why as soon as Mozilla switched to Enhanced Tracking Protection, Chrome wanted to work on it.

The newspaper Columnist Geoffrey Fowler wrote- “Having the world’ biggest advertising company make the most popular web browser was about as smart as letting kids run a candy shop. It made me decide to ditch chrome for a new version of non-profit Mozilla Firefox, which has default privacy protections.”

Tech

Resist Temptation and Get More Productive With Website and App Blockers

Published

3 weeks ago

July 4, 2024

Jonathan Grilli

From reading the latest news to looking for your next big vacation (or being captivated by social media), the Internet has become a massive landscape of diverse content. With the digital world filled with countless distractions, resisting temptation and being able to focus has become more and more difficult. The development of website and app blockers provides a simple solution to avoid scooting down portal pathways that hinder productivity and, sometimes, lead to negative consequences.

As a worldwide societal phenomenon, the Internet is rapidly evolving, with entire economies and personal relationships relying on the web. A website and app blocker intentionally restricts access to specific internet sites and apps through software programs. Website and app blocker software can be downloaded as add-ons or extensions for browsers, like website blocking on Chrome. Such blocking can include programs that assist in URL-based blocking, Platform-based blocking—specifically when using search engines, and Domain Name Systems blocking, which all make it difficult to access specified domains and websites on the Internet.

Many website and app blockers allow you to enter websites and apps that you want to restrict access to for a certain time period throughout the day or a certain length of time. This can be helpful to those who need to focus on studying but keep falling into temptation’s trap, straying away from what needs to be done to engage in unnecessary Google searches or scrolling through Instagram posts.

However, there are website and app blockers that can permanently restrict access to specified sites and apps. With potentially crucial reasons to restrict access to Internet content, blocking software could improve daily lives. Those struggling with shopping addiction or facing negative consequences at work for an inability to remain focused may find website and app blockers incredibly beneficial.

Website and app blocking isn’t confined to personal, individual use. It has become a rising trend for many governments to utilize this software when blocking illegal content. Yet, the software can also help parents, guardians, and other family and friends block access to harmful content and inappropriate material for children.

By restricting access to certain websites or apps, you allow yourself to build new and more productive habits, or keep yourself and your kids safe. Through establishing “forced focus” times for yourself, concentrating solely on your work or tasks at hand becomes easier. Protectivity has many proven benefits. Committing to what needs to be done can help build your self-worth, creating a feeling of accomplishment that is good for your mood. Even if the things you need to focus on and get done are smaller tasks in nature, accomplishing your daily tasks can help ward off excessive stress and anxiety, as well as depression.

NetNanny, BlockSite, and Surfblocker as some of the most effective website and app blocking software. BlockSite is a blocking software used globally by millions of people, and it provides relief from temptation by temporarily blocking websites and apps, so you can focus, be productive, and build self-control habits.

Whether you are trying to keep yourself in check or your family safe, website and app-blocking software limits screen time while providing customization to users that help tailor usage to individual needs.