Tor blocks third-party tracking, debuts security slider

Privacy software Tor has been updated to version 4.5 with a stack of new and enhanced features.

Improved website isolation stops most third-party tracking by social networking buttons, adverts and "mashup" content.

A new Security Level option allows users to disable vulnerable browser features (JavaScript, remote JAR files, more) simply by dragging a slider.

Tor now uses Disconnect as its default search provider, delivering Google search results with using Captchas or collecting your IP address.

Windows setup changes see the Tor package now signed with a hardware signing token, while the installer has a new option to add Tor Browser to the Start Menu/ Applications view (this is on by default, but you can disable it if necessary).

Tor Circuit handling has been enhanced. You can now view the current Circuit on the onion menu, or request a new one, and the browser should no longer change Circuits while you’re actively using a site (something which used to cause all kinds of odd problems).

The full changelog is here if you need it, otherwise Tor 4.5 is available now.