British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee created the first web server and graphical web browser in 1990 while <a href="{ $cern }">working at CERN</a>, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, in Switzerland. He called his new window into the internet “WorldWideWeb.” It was an easy-to-use graphical interface created for the NeXT computer. For the first time, text documents were linked together over a public network—the web as we know it.

British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee created the first web server and graphical web browser in 1990 while <a href="{ $cern }">working at CERN</a>, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, in Switzerland. He called his new window into the internet “WorldWideWeb.” It was an easy-to-use graphical interface created for the NeXT computer. For the first time, text documents were linked together over a public network—the web as we know it.

Nearly all major browsers have a private browsing setting. These exist to hide the browsing history from other users on the same computer. Many people think that private browsing or incognito mode will hide both their identity and browsing history from internet service providers, governments and advertisers. They don’t. These settings just clear the history on your system, which is helpful if you’re dealing with sensitive personal information on a shared or public computer. { -brand-name-firefox } goes beyond that.

Nearly all major browsers have a private browsing setting. These exist to hide the browsing history from other users on the same computer. Many people think that private browsing or incognito mode will hide both their identity and browsing history from internet service providers, governments and advertisers. They don’t. These settings just clear the history on your system, which is helpful if you’re dealing with sensitive personal information on a shared or public computer. { -brand-name-firefox } goes beyond that.

The practice of fingerprinting allows you to be <a { $url_tracked }>tracked for months</a>, even when you clear your browser storage or use private browsing mode — disregarding clear indications from you that you don’t want to be tracked. Despite a near complete agreement between <a { $url_standards }>standards</a> <a { $url_bodies }>bodies</a> and <a { $url_browser }>browser</a> <a { $url_vendors }>vendors</a> that fingerprinting is <a { $url_harmful }>harmful</a>, its use on the web <a { $url_has }>has</a> <a { $url_steadily }>steadily</a> <a { $url_increased }>increased</a> over the past decade.

The practice of fingerprinting allows you to be <a { $url_tracked }>tracked for months</a>, even when you clear your browser storage or use private browsing mode — disregarding clear indications from you that you don’t want to be tracked. Despite a near complete agreement between <a { $url_standards }>standards</a> <a { $url_bodies }>bodies</a> and <a { $url_browser }>browser</a> <a { $url_vendors }>vendors</a> that fingerprinting is <a { $url_harmful }>harmful</a>, its use on the web <a { $url_has }>has</a> <a { $url_steadily }>steadily</a> <a { $url_increased }>increased</a> over the past decade.

Clear history

Clear history

Automatically clear your history and cookies with Private Browsing mode.

Automatically clear your history and cookies with Private Browsing mode.

While these guidelines / code of conduct are specifically aimed at { -brand-name-mozilla }’s work and community, we recognize that it is possible for actions taken outside of { -brand-name-mozilla }’s online or in person spaces to have a deep impact on community health. (For example, in the past, we publicly identified an anonymous posting aimed at a { -brand-name-mozilla } employee in a non-{ -brand-name-mozilla } forum as clear grounds for removal from the { -brand-name-mozilla } community.) This is an active topic in the diversity and inclusion realm. We anticipate wide-ranging discussions among our communities about appropriate boundaries.

While these guidelines / code of conduct are specifically aimed at { -brand-name-mozilla }’s work and community, we recognize that it is possible for actions taken outside of { -brand-name-mozilla }’s online or in person spaces to have a deep impact on community health. (For example, in the past, we publicly identified an anonymous posting aimed at a { -brand-name-mozilla } employee in a non-{ -brand-name-mozilla } forum as clear grounds for removal from the { -brand-name-mozilla } community.) This is an active topic in the diversity and inclusion realm. We anticipate wide-ranging discussions among our communities about appropriate boundaries.

This page describes the different types of Cookies and similar technologies such as pixel tags, web beacons, clear GIFs, JavaScript, and local storage (hereafter, “Cookies”) that { -brand-name-mozilla } may use, and gives you control over which types of data you agree to { -brand-name-mozilla } collecting.

This page describes the different types of Cookies and similar technologies such as pixel tags, web beacons, clear GIFs, JavaScript, and local storage (hereafter, “Cookies”) that { -brand-name-mozilla } may use, and gives you control over which types of data you agree to { -brand-name-mozilla } collecting.