Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

Last week, Microsoft finally launched its much-awaited Chromium-based Edge browser for older versions of Windows, including Windows 7, 8, and 8.1. Microsoft just added a new feature called Tracking Prevention to the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser.

Microsoft describes Tracking Prevention in Edge in the following way:

Websites use trackers (like cookies and scripts) to collect info about how you use their sites and show you content like relevant ads. But some trackers collect and send your info to sites you haven’t visited. Microsoft Edge helps you control trackers.

Tracking Prevention comes with three different presets that users may switch between.

  • Basic: Blocks malicious trackers but allows those that show you relevant ads
  • Balanced (recommended): Blocks malicious trackers and some third-party trackers. You’ll see less relevant ads.
  • Strict: Blocks the majority of third-party trackers, some sites might break

The default level is balanced. Edge users may switch levels on edge://settings/privacy in the browser’s Settings. An option to turn off the feature for specific sites is provided as well on the page.

The changes that you make on the page apply instantly, a restart is not required. You do need to reload tabs, however.

Insider beta testers with the latest Canary release on Windows can try it by enabling a browser flag (enter – “edge://flags#edge-tracking-prevention” in the address bar) then restarting.

Edge

Microsoft demonstrated this feature at its Build 2019 event earlier this year. The feature does, however, have the ability to break a website, and Microsoft is, therefore, disabling it by default.

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