Firefox Starts the Roll Out of DNS Over HTTPS (DoH) by Default for US-Based Users

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Firefox Starts the Roll Out of DNS Over HTTPS (DoH) by Default for US-Based Users

By CircleID Reporter
February 25, 2020, 6:02 pm PST Views: 50,699 Comments: 1

Firefox begins the rollout of encrypted DNS over HTTPS (DoH) by default for its US-based users. According to the company, the rollout will continue over the next few weeks to confirm that no major issues are discovered as this new protocol is enabled. “[U]nencrypted DNS is not only vulnerable to spying but is being exploited, and so we are helping the internet to make the shift to more secure alternatives,” says Mozilla, the non-profit parent organization.

— How it’s done, Firefox explains: “We do this by performing DNS lookups in an encrypted HTTPS connection. This helps hide your browsing history from attackers on the network, helps prevent data collection by third parties on the network that ties your computer to websites you visit.” (Mozilla)

— The controversy: “Some internet engineers warn that DoH is a threat not just to people’s privacy, but the stability of the Internet itself. And they have been met with counterclaims that they are out of touch and don’t grasp how the Internet actually works in 2019.” (CircleID)

By CircleID Reporter — CircleID’s internal staff reporting on news tips and developing stories. Do you have information the professional Internet community should be aware of? Contact us.
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Where will the DoH connection(s) be made Phil Howard – Mar 6, 2020 1:40 AM

Where will the DoH connection(s) be made to, by default? Will it be easy to change in preferences or will we need to struggle with about:config? Can we use multiple DoH servers? How can I run my own DoH server? Will there be an RFC for the protocol? Will dig be taught how to use DoH? Will there be example free open source software clients and servers released to demonstrate and locally test the protocol?

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