For advertising, Firefox now collects user data by default

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Cookie banners, hypocrisy, and GDPR backdrop

  • Many comments note the irony that the article’s site (heise.de) itself uses aggressive “pay-or-accept-cookies” banners, possibly in breach of GDPR guidance.
  • Users compare different cookie UIs on the site, report dark patterns (single “accept” button, mandatory consent for “free” use), and cite EU/EDPB language that such consent is not “freely given”.
  • Broader frustration that GDPR is under‑enforced, leading to nagging banners instead of real privacy.

What Firefox changed and how to turn it off

  • Firefox added “Privacy‑Preserving Attribution” (PPA), enabled by default, to measure ad conversions via aggregation/MPC instead of per‑user tracking.
  • Desktop: setting is under Privacy & Security → “Web Site Advertising Preferences” → “Allow websites to perform privacy‑preserving ad measurement”.
  • Underlying pref: dom.private-attribution.submission.enabled = false (can be enforced via policies or user.js).
  • Mobile Android: about:config is hidden; workaround via chrome://geckoview/content/config.xhtml to enable general.aboutConfig.enable, then disable the same pref. Some report variants (Fennec/Mull, F‑Droid builds) where it’s already off or about:config is accessible.
  • One Reddit comment (relayed here) claims that if Firefox telemetry is disabled, PPA is also disabled internally, even though the UI still shows it as on.

Consent, trust, and Mozilla’s positioning

  • Core criticism: feature shipped opt‑out, with little or no in‑browser notice; users feel this violates Firefox’s privacy‑first brand and ignores existing “strict” tracking/DNT preferences.
  • Several see the CTO’s Reddit explanation as “we should have communicated more” rather than admitting the opt‑out default was wrong.
  • Some argue Mozilla is pragmatically trying to head off worse ad‑tech/DRM (e.g., WEI‑like lock‑downs) by offering a “less bad” standard; others say advertisers will just use this and continue invasive tracking anyway.
  • Repeated pattern noted: Mozilla ships controversial data/ads features quietly (Cliqz, experiments, Pocket, VPN promos), apologizes, then continues similar moves, eroding trust.

Alternatives and forks

  • Many propose switching to Firefox derivatives (LibreWolf, Fennec, Mull, Trisquel’s Abrowser), other niche browsers (Orion, Vivaldi, Brave), or future engines (Ladybird, Servo).
  • Some prefer to harden Firefox (policies, user.js, uBlock Origin, NoScript) rather than abandon Gecko to a Chromium monoculture.

Funding, governance, and “who Mozilla serves”

  • Thread revisits Mozilla’s dependence on Google search money, CEO pay, and failed revenue experiments.
  • Mixed views on whether donations or paid Firefox builds could sustainably replace ad‑linked funding, and whether Mozilla’s broader activism distracts from its browser mission.