Version 70 of Firefox rolls out on its stable channel, features performance and security upgrades

The latest stable release of Firefox, version 70, is now rolling out to all of the web browser's desktop users. The new release includes substantial performance increases (especially on macOS) and privacy improvements that make the release highly recommended.

By default, version 70 of Mozilla Firefox will block cross-site social media tracking using its built-in Enhanced Tracking Protection feature. Though this has been possible before, it was never incorporated into the "Standard" protection that the browser is set to by default. Users can now access a detailed "Privacy Protections" report that details the trackers that Firefox blocked.

Improvements to how Firefox both loads web pages and uses system resources are also a highlight of this release. With the help of a "faster JavaScript Baseline Interpreter," Mozilla states that pages will now load up to 8% faster than before. For macOS Firefox users, the improvements are even more substantial. On top of reduced power consumption, page load times improved by up to 22 percent and system resource use for video playback has been reduced by up to 37 percent.

The latest version of Firefox is available for download for existing users by going to the browser's about page in the Help section of the menu, or for everyone running Windows, macOS, or Linux-based operating systems on Mozilla's official website.

Further coverage: Firefox 70's Release Notes The Mozilla Blog gHacks Tech News