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Firefox 68 is out: New dark reader view, better extensions, enterprise IT controls

Firefox 68 ushers in Mozilla's new recommended add-on program.
Written by Liam Tung, Contributing Writer

Mozilla has released Firefox 68, introducing a new dark reader view, a curated list of recommended extensions, an easier way of reporting bad extensions, and new options for IT admins to customize Firefox in the enterprise. 

The new dark feature for the Firefox Reader view improves on the existing controls to make the text area dark. Now, when users change the contrast to dark, the sidebars and toolbars will be "completely" in dark mode. 

Mozilla has also crafted a list of recommended extensions that appear on the 'Get Add-ons' page and are aimed at enhancing extension discovery. A new 'Recommended' tag next to ones that Mozilla employees have vetted and recommend will appear in search results for extensions, as well as the addons.mozilla.org site. 

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Mozilla notes that each recommended extension undergoes a "thorough technical security review to ensure it adheres to Mozilla's add-on policies". Developers can't pay Mozilla to have their extensions reviewed for recommended status, but anyone can suggest an extension be recommended. 

Firefox 68 also introduces a new feature in about:addons that allows users to report extensions that are a potential security threat.

This release brings a fix for a long-running issue caused by antivirus software interfering with certificates for HTTPS sites as reported by ZDNet earlier this month.  

There's also WebRTC, the standard for real-time video and voice communications from the browser. Firefox 68 now requires HTTPS for the camera and microphone to work, ensuring the content of communications in transit is protected and encrypted. 

This requirement should make it more compatible with Chrome, with further improvements to come in Firefox 69. 

Mozilla has added a bunch of new enterprise IT policies for its Firefox Quantum for the enterprise browser. Mozilla has published those policies on a GitHub page. There's also a new support menu for users to flag issues with their internal support teams.

But even if none of these features is enough to tempt Firefox users to update, they should anyway, since Firefox 68 addresses two critical memory-related security flaws present in pre-68 versions and dozens of high-impact and moderate security issues. 

Finally, Firefox 68 includes improved protections against browser fingerprinting by online marketing teams and web-based cryptocurrency miners. 

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Some extensions will now be displayed with a 'recommended' badge. 

Image: Mozilla

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