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Firefox tracks users with Google Analytics in the add-on settings

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Re: Firefox tracks users with Google Analytics in the add-on settings

#151

Post by jhasse »

i80and wrote: post #21
joenathanone wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>dumb dogpile rants... Pot meet kettle You're comment hasn't added any value to the conversation, it's just a rant.

Thing is... he's right, though, and it IS rather on topic. Public bug trackers only function as long as the peanut gallery doesn't decide to descend. Once it DOES descend on an issue, the issue often becomes a cluttered off-topic mess of ill-informed nastiness. Just look at any Mozilla bugzilla issue addressing Linux video acceleration, as an example.

> Just look at any Mozilla bugzilla issue addressing Linux video acceleration, as an example.

Can you provide a link?

Re: Firefox tracks users with Google Analytics in the add-on settings

#152

Post by steanne »

pavement wrote: post #45

As I mentioned in #1107: we will not be removing analytics support entirely. It is extremely useful to us and we have already weighed the cost/benefit of using tracking. https://github.com/mozilla/addons-frontend/issues/1107 Ew. Firefox, I am ashamed to know you.

okay, finally bit the bullet and blocked it in hosts file.

Re: Firefox tracks users with Google Analytics in the add-on settings

#153

Post by uAntabaka »

dotancohen wrote: post #141
Silhouette wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So far, the only difference I have noticed is that some useful add-ons that made Firefox significantly more attractive than some other browsers no longer work. The single biggest loss for me personally has been the ones that would save unsubmitted form content in case of crashes, accidental window/tab closure, etc. When I checked recently, there no longer appeared to be any add-on available that provided this valuabl…

Also Tree-Style-Tabs is no longer supported. TST arranges the browser tabs in a vertical hierarchy, which has the dual benefit of logically arranging the tabs themselves and providing more vertical space (important on a 16:9 aspect ratio monitor).

There are sidebar tab WebExtensions, including one rudimentary one which supports tree indentation.

I even contributed to one this morning that is quite attractive, called Tab Center Redux.

Re: Firefox tracks users with Google Analytics in the add-on settings

#154

Post by rhabarba »

jshelly wrote: post #75
pavement wrote: post #45

As I mentioned in #1107: we will not be removing analytics support entirely. It is extremely useful to us and we have already weighed the cost/benefit of using tracking. https://github.com/mozilla/addons-frontend/issues/1107 Ew. Firefox, I am ashamed to know you.

Deleted based on similar response below. "Which browser should I use"

Pale Moon

Re: Firefox tracks users with Google Analytics in the add-on settings

#155

Post by rhabarba »

davb wrote: post #10

What browser should users opt for if they want performance, broad compatibility with websites and absolutely no tracking/analytics? Preferably open source and cross platform.

> performance, broad compatibility with websites and absolutely no tracking/analytics

Pale Moon (not too cross-platform), qutebrowser (if you're fine with Webkit and keybindings).

Re: Firefox tracks users with Google Analytics in the add-on settings

#156

Post by kuschku »

amichal wrote: post #150
kuschku wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Be aware, this changes in 316 days, when the EU GDPR comes into force, and makes even for those cases opt-in required.

Opt-in via published policy or some silly explicit checkbox?

Opt-in via an explicit dialog, and, most importantly, you have to give the user the ability to select "no" and still use your website (in which case you aren’t allowed to do any tracking).

Re: Firefox tracks users with Google Analytics in the add-on settings

#157

Post by kuschku »

jhasse wrote: post #149
kuschku wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Currently there is no such link at the bottom the discovery page, this is still an open PR, and was created as response to this thread. Additionally, this still violates the Cookie Law. > The addressees of the obligation are Member States, who must ensure that the use of electronic communications networks to store information in a visitor's browser is only allowed if the user is provided with “clear and comprehensive…

Does that mean that I could sue Mozilla?

Potentially. I recommend you check with your Landesdatenschutzbeauftragter, in Schleswig-Holstein, that’d be the https://www.datenschutzzentrum.de/ (you can send them E-Mail via GPG), and discuss that with them. Additionally, you might get help from the Verbraucherzentrale.

Re: Firefox tracks users with Google Analytics in the add-on settings

#158

Post by uAntabaka »

throwaway2048 wrote: post #88
coldpie wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be blunt, you're not going to find one. Developing a modern browser is extremely difficult, on the order of developing an entire operating system. Mozilla does respect privacy rights, and it is clearly treating this as a bug to be fixed. You're going to have to cut them some slack for not being 100% perfect always.

The fact they thought this was a good idea to begin with speaks volumes about their actual position.

They really didn't actively think it was a good idea. They changed the discovery tab to be a web page, which as the github repo linked by the OP will show you, is now handled in the same repo (by the same people) as the AMO website proper.

It was a mistake, and not as huge of one as people are making it out to be. As they have repeatedly pointed out, their GA contract makes it essentially a non-issue, unless you believe Google is so obsessed with tracking that they will violate their contract with Mozilla.

Re: Firefox tracks users with Google Analytics in the add-on settings

#159

Post by jhasse »

jdenning wrote: post #99

The main reason I use and recommend Firefox is that I don't trust Google to respect user privacy. I'm sure I'm not alone in that. Mozilla has violated user trust here, and the responses to the bug report are very disappointing. Any other recommendations for privacy-respecting, open source browsers? This seems like a good time for a competitor to earn some market-share.

If you are using Linux check out Eolie or Poseidon:

https://github.com/gnumdk/eolie

https://github.com/sidus-dev/poseidon

Re: Firefox tracks users with Google Analytics in the add-on settings

#160

Post by Silhouette »

dotancohen wrote: post #141
Silhouette wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So far, the only difference I have noticed is that some useful add-ons that made Firefox significantly more attractive than some other browsers no longer work. The single biggest loss for me personally has been the ones that would save unsubmitted form content in case of crashes, accidental window/tab closure, etc. When I checked recently, there no longer appeared to be any add-on available that provided this valuabl…

Also Tree-Style-Tabs is no longer supported. TST arranges the browser tabs in a vertical hierarchy, which has the dual benefit of logically arranging the tabs themselves and providing more vertical space (important on a 16:9 aspect ratio monitor).

FYI, there's another one called Tab Tree that works reasonably similarly. The original TST seemed not to be an option some time ago, but the alternative seems OK.
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