Microsoft Edge Chromium Gets Tracking Prevention Settings

With a new Canary build, Microsoft is releasing an experimental preview of tracking prevention for Microsoft Edge. Starting in Edge Chromium 77.0.203.0 it is possible to enable a and use a set of options which define how the browser will treat tracking cookies as you browse web sites.

As you may already know, Microsoft Edge, the default web browser of Windows 10, is moving to a Chromium-compatible web engine in the Desktop version. Microsoft explains that the intention behind this move is to create better web compatibility for customers and less fragmentation for web developers. Microsoft has already made a number of contributions to the Chromium project, helping to port the project to Windows on ARM. The company promises to contribute more to the Chromium project.

Starting in Edge 77.0.203.0, which is available in the Canary branch of the browser, you can activate tracking prevention options. They look as follows.

As you can see in the screenshot above, the protection includes three levels. The levels are basic, balanced and strict. Tracking prevention is set to "Balanced" by default. According to Microsoft, the Strict option offers the strongest tracking protection, but may break certain web sites.

This can be done directly in Settings under the Privacy section. However, you need to enable a special flag.

Enable Tracking Prevention Settings in Microsoft Edge Chromium

1. Update your Edge Canary to version 77.0.203.0. This should be done automatically on your computer.
2. Run Microsoft Edge Chromium.
3. Type the following in the address bar: edge://flags#edge-tracking-prevention.
4. Enable the flag Microsoft Edge Tracking Prevention. Switch it from Default to Enabled.
5. Relaunch the browser when prompted.
6. Go to in Settings > Privacy and Services (or type edge://settings/privacy in the address bar).
7. Adjust the settings as desired.

You are done.

At the moment of this writing, the latest Microsoft Edge Chromium versions are as follows.

• Beta Channel: 76.0.182.11
• Dev Channel: 77.0.197.1
• Canary Channel: 77.0.203.0

I have covered many Edge tricks and features in the following post:

Hands-on with the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge

Also, see the following updates.

• Microsoft Edge Chromium: Change Display Language
• Group Policy Templates for Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Microsoft Edge Chromium: Pin Sites To Taskbar, IE Mode
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Will Allow Uninstalling PWAs as Desktop Apps
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Includes YouTube Video Info in Volume Control OSD
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Canary Features Dark Mode Improvements
• Show Icon Only for Bookmark in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Autoplay Video Blocker is coming to Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Microsoft Edge Chromium is Receiving New Tab Page Customization Options
• Enable Microsoft Search in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Grammar Tools Are Now Available in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Now Follows System Dark Theme
• Here’s how Microsoft Edge Chromium looks on macOS
• Microsoft Edge Chromium now installs PWAs in the root of the Start menu
• Enable Translator in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Dynamically Changes Its User Agent
• Microsoft Edge Chromium Warns When Running as Administrator
• Change Search Engine In Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Hide or Show Favorites Bar in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Install Chrome Extensions in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Enable Dark Mode in Microsoft Edge Chromium
• Chrome Features Removed and Replaced by Microsoft in Edge
• Microsoft Released Chromium-based Edge Preview Versions
• Chromium-Based Edge to Support 4K and HD Video Streams
• Microsoft Edge Insider extension now available in Microsoft Store
• Hands-on with the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge
• Microsoft Edge Insider Addons Page Revealed
• Microsoft Translator is Now Integrated with Microsoft Edge Chromium

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