Firefox 'New Tab' Feature Exposes Users

Privacy-conscious users have sounded the alarm after it emerged the New Tab thumbnail feature in Firefox 13 is taking snapshots of the user's HTTPS session content. Consumers discovered the feature after opening a new tab only to be "greeted by my earlier online banking and webmail sessions complete with account numbers, balances, subject lines etc. This content is behind a secure login for a reason, they said.

In response to queries on the matter prompted by Chris's experience, Mozilla acknowledged that the behaviour was undesirable and promised a patch. In the meantime, the browser and email client firm points privacy-conscious users towards various workarounds, as a statement explains. "We are aware of the concern and have a fix that will be released in a future version of Firefox. Mozilla remains resolute in its commitment to privacy and user control. The new tab thumbnail feature within Firefox does not  transmit nor store personal information outside the user's direct control".