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Topic: FYI - Mozilla being a bit sneaky ? (Read 834 times) previous topic - next topic
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FYI - Mozilla being a bit sneaky ?

https://old.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1fp2lq5/noyb_filed_a_gdpr_complaint_against_mozilla_for/

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/privacy-preserving-attribution#w_how-can-i-disable-ppa

I mainly use Firedragon but also have Firefox installed.
In both case I found the option present but disabled.
But plenty of other people are saying they were silently opted in.

Check if you care about such things.

Re: FYI - Mozilla being a bit sneaky ?

Reply #1 –
I do not see in librewolf, no Website Advertising Preferences section in the Privacy & Security panel.

Re: FYI - Mozilla being a bit sneaky ?

Reply #2 –
Quote from: kiblaster – on
I do not see in librewolf, no Website Advertising Preferences section in the Privacy & Security panel.
That's good then. I was a tad surprised firedragon still had it but so long as it's off all good.

Re: FYI - Mozilla being a bit sneaky ?

Reply #3 –
I only keep Firefox installed for browser games. Preferably ones with no accounts or anything that has either no email or using burner emails.

If a site does not work with base Librewolf and it's more than a simple webgl thing (i.e. requires using an account for non time wasting activity); you should not be using that site.

Re: FYI - Mozilla being a bit sneaky ?

Reply #4 –
I don't know what implications this has or how it compares in reality, but if this replaced cookies eventually, wouldn't that be a good thing? No more foreign data from random websites being saved on your HDD, no more endless cookie acceptance popups? Perhaps it might need refining to meet privacy concerns but cookies have been around so long the concept might be due for an update, in the same way we generally no longer need to bother with installing java and flash plugins except on very rare occasions to interface with old hardware with a webpage interface for example. The cookie system also means every time you use a new browser or device or have to clear cookies you start afresh with websites, although this can be both good and bad, it's probably unhelpful for non technical users. Last time I cleared cookies and cache it took 2 or 3 days to get logged back into one of my accounts on that machine due to security verification issues!  :D
There seems to be no equivalent setting in the latest stable version of Waterfox anyway.

Re: FYI - Mozilla being a bit sneaky ?

Reply #5 –
Quote from: ####### – on
but if this replaced cookies eventually, wouldn't that be a good thing?
It's not intended to replace cookies though ?

Mozilla are saying.
Quote
Websites track you in lots of insidious ways.
Maybe if we track you for them in a less insidious way they'll be nice and stop their other tracking.
Reading between the lines:
Quote
Hey guys I think there's some money in this.
Regardless it should have been opt in not opt out (If that's true, as it wasn't for me)

Re: FYI - Mozilla being a bit sneaky ?

Reply #6 –
I got the impression they were looking at replacing tracking cookies somehow:
"While Firefox includes many privacy protections that make it more difficult for sites to track you online (Enhanced Tracking Protection, Total Cookie Protection, Query Parameter Stripping, and many other measures)"
but perhaps not then.  ;D

Re: FYI - Mozilla being a bit sneaky ?

Reply #7 –
It's turned off in the forks already (most if not all as far as i know) and ffprofile.com turns it off for you when you create one.
It's probably to mediate cookies, no one in his right mind would try to get rid of them. Even though their portability has taken a hit with the PartitonKey thing and even with all their misuse.

Re: FYI - Mozilla being a bit sneaky ?

Reply #8 –
Quote from: ####### – on
I got the impression they were looking at replacing tracking cookies somehow:
Third party cookies are one way you can be tracked but are easily blocked.
The tracking that is harder to block is the tracking done by fingerprinting you via all the info the browser gives away.
Firefox already takes steps to reduce the later if enabled.

But this is not intended to replace what cookies were originally intended for. First Party cookies storing state information. Website settings etc.

I still strongly suspect it's all about money. Unless Mozilla have said they'll provide this info to the websites for free ? I don't know but I doubt it.

Re: FYI - Mozilla being a bit sneaky ?

Reply #9 –
While looking for that setting I saw these two that were disabled:
Tell websited not to sell or share my data
Send webistes a "Do Not Track" request

Now I I enabled them:

 

Re: FYI - Mozilla being a bit sneaky ?

Reply #10 –
I would take caution with those two, 'do not track' is fingerprint magnet and rather be left off, and 'tell websites not to sell or share my data' only works in some countries.