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The Mozilla Firefox browser, which has become less popular in recent years, could make a “comeback” as people who want to keep their browsing habits private switch back to it, it is claimed.

The “porn block law” will be introduced in just four weeks – on June 15 – meaning everyone in the UK will have to get “age verified” by handing over their details or using a passport, bank card, or “porn pass” from the shops, so they can access adult content on a normal browser.

But the Daily Star Online revealed last month that Google was considering rolling out a form of encryption know as DNS on all Chrome browsers – to “enhance privacy” – which could mean users don’t have to get age verified.

After the revelation, the Government said it was “concerned about unintended consequences changes could have” before holding crunch meetings with spy agencies and the Internet Service Providers Association, representing firms including BT, Virgin, and Sky.

The group is worried the DNS move and could make “parental controls” ineffective and limit their ability to monitor what people look at online.

There are also concerns Google does not have enough experience in blocking illegal content, like terror material, which it could become responsible for if DNS is rolled out.

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However, the Daily Star Online has now learned industry insiders believe Google is changing direction due to the concerns that have been raised.

But Mozilla and its Firefox Internet browser are looking less likely to back down, sources who attended the crunch meeting with the government say.

When quizzed, the ISPA said they “attended this meeting on behalf of the [Internet Service Provider] sector and had a constructive discussion with Government and other industry representatives about this issue.”

They add: “We remain concerned about the consequences these proposed changes will have for online safety and security, and it is therefore important that the Government sends a strong message to the browser manufacturers such as Mozilla that their encryption plans do not undermine current internet safety standards in the UK."

Daniel Pryor, Head of Programmes at the Adam Smith Institute, takes a different view, criticising the meeting, welcoming what he sees as more privacy online, and arguing the porn block restricts our freedoms.

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He blasted: "This Government is looking to lead the Western world in internet censorship, so shady meetings with internet providers are hardly surprising.

“Anyone can bypass the upcoming porn block and other content restrictions using a VPN or optional browser settings, but the Government is worried that rumoured changes to Chrome and Firefox could make it even easier.

“Millions of Brits want security and privacy when they go online—especially when the parent company of a porn age check provider has a long history of data breaches.

“Hopefully Google and Mozilla will stand by their customers rather than bending to Government pressure."

The Government sees porn block-avoiding DNS encryption on browsers as a danger to Prime Minister Theresa May’s commitment to make the UK the “safest place in the world” to be online.

Some say Domain Name System (DNS) encryption will give internet users more privacy but critics argue they make it harder for the government to see what we are looking at online and find terrorists and paedophiles.

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Baroness Thornton claimed in parliament last week the change “would render useless the family filters in millions of homes and the ability to track down illegal content by organisations such as the Internet Watch Foundation”.

Tom Watson, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, also raised concerns, asking the government for more information on how many browsers will adopt DNS.

However, Lord Ashton of Hyde said there were “pros… as well as cons” to the proposed changes and Lord Stevenson of Balmacara said DNS encryption is “quite helpful in terms of protecting identity”.

Mozilla did not respond to requests for comment but has said publicly they have already started rolling our DNS in the US as of April 1.

In a blog post last month, they said: “We are working to build a larger ecosystem of trusted [DNS] providers, and we hope to be able to experiment with other providers soon.

“As before, we will continue to share the results of the [DNA] tests and provide updates once future plans solidify.”