Firefox turns encrypted DNS on by default to thwart snooping ISPs

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Firefox will start switching browser users to Cloudflare’s encrypted-DNS service today and roll out the change across the United States in the coming weeks.

“Today, Firefox began the rollout of encrypted DNS over HTTPS (DoH) by default for US-based users,” Firefox maker Mozilla said in an announcement scheduled to go live at this link Tuesday morning. “The rollout will continue over the next few weeks to confirm no major issues are discovered as this new protocol is enabled for Firefox’s US-based users.”

DNS over HTTPS helps keep eavesdroppers from seeing what DNS lookups your browser is making, potentially making it more difficult for Internet service providers or other third parties to monitor what websites you visit. As we’ve previously written, Mozilla’s embrace of DNS over HTTPS is fueled in part by concerns about ISPs monitoring customers’ Web usage. Mobile broadband providers were caught selling their customers’ real-time location data to third parties, and Internet providers can use browsing history to deliver targeted ads.

Wireless and wired Internet providers are suing the state of Maine to stop a Web-browsing privacy law that would require ISPs to get customers’ opt-in consent before using or sharing browsing history and other sensitive data. The telecom companies already convinced Congress and President Trump to eliminate a similar federal law in 2017.

ISPs protested encrypted-DNS plans

Mozilla has not been deterred by a broadband-industry lobbying campaign against encrypted DNS. The ISPs’ lobbying targeted Google’s plan for the Chrome browser, even though Firefox is deploying DNS over HTTPS more aggressively.

With Web users already being tracked heavily by companies like Google and

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