With the latest version of Firefox for U.S. desktop users, we’re introducing a new way to measure search activity broken down into high level categories. This measure is not linked with specific individuals and is further anonymized using a technology called OHTTP to ensure it can’t be connected with user IP addresses.
Let’s say you’re using Firefox to plan a trip to Spain and search for “Barcelona hotels.” Firefox infers that the search results fall under the category of “travel,” and it increments a counter to calculate the total number of searches happening at the country level.
Here’s the current list of categories we’re using: animals, arts, autos, business, career, education, fashion, finance, food, government, health, hobbies, home, inconclusive, news, real estate, society, sports, tech and travel.
Having an understanding of what types of searches happen most frequently will give us a better understanding of what’s important to our users, without giving us additional insight into individual browsing preferences. This helps us take a step forward in providing a browsing experience that is more tailored to your needs, without us stepping away from the principles that make us who we are.
We understand that any new data collection might spark some questions. Simply put, this new method only categorizes the websites that show up in your searches — not the specifics of what you’re personally looking up.
Sensitive topics, like searching for particular health care services, are categorized only under broad terms like health or society. Your search activities are handled with the same level of confidentiality as all other data regardless of any local laws surrounding certain health services.
Remember, you can always opt out of sending any technical or usage data to Firefox. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to adjust your settings. We also don’t collect category data when you use Private Browsing mode on Firefox.
The Copy Without Site Tracking option can now remove parameters from nested URLs. It also includes expanded support for blocking over 300 tracking parameters from copied links, including those from major shopping websites. Keep those trackers away when sharing links!
Oh yeah, the classic “most people will not care se we are not even going to ask them, an entry in our blog no one reads will do”.
You explicitly gave them permission to do so when you agreed to the EULA at the time you downloaded it. If you have a problem with that, feel free to delete Mozilla and move on with your life. Mozilla doesn’t owe you anything.
Maybe we can discuss when a company does something completely inmoral that goes against what they say they stand for?
Yes…the multimillion dollar…open source…non-profit…company…
By all means, go screaming your discontent to every corner of the internet. Let me know what that accomplishes for you.
You can bitch about shit outside of your control or you can deal with it and move on with your life. Your choice.
Better yet, put your money that you didn’t spend on Mozilla where your mouth is, grab the free source code to Firefox that literally everybody has access to, and make your own web browser that works however you think it ought to.
Of, you could go use Tor if you’re so addicted to that “shit-quality browser that nobody outside of dark web users puts any work into because they’re the only people that make any money off it” vibe
Haha, remind me again why we are all in a lemmy community about firefox if you feel that any complain at them is “screaming your discontent at every corner of the internet”. Is that bitching lmao? Did anyone mention Tor or do you have a weird hate boner against it or need to attack something else to protect the multi million dollar company?
Because it came up in my feed and I felt like commenting? Do I need a better reason? I’m not protecting anybody, I’m just pointing out basic shit about how the world works lol.
Mozilla is free. And like any other service on the internet, when it’s free you are the product. This is internet 101 shit. If you have a problem with that, uninstall the program and move on with your life. I just used tor as an example because you all seem to be incredibly worried about the privacy you get from a free program lol. If you want maximum privacy without spending any money, that’s what you should be using
You’re not wrong, you’re just an asshole
And I am perfectly fine with that. Beats being yet another internet slacktivist bitching about how the shit they’re being given for free isn’t good enough.
You wouldn’t be an asshole otherwise. Maybe some beautiful day you’ll realise being an insufferable twat might not be the best approach to life, but I’m not going to hold my breath.
Tor is Firefox, why are you calling it “a shit-quality browser” while defending Mozilla so hard