Each Firefox download has a unique identifier

This data will allow us to correlate telemetry IDs with download tokens and Google Analytics IDs.

According to Mozilla’s description, the identifier is used to analyze downloading and installation trends among other things.

The article doesn’t mention how long this has been around for, and presumably it does not affect most Linux users, with the exception of Snap perhaps which I think Mozilla now package themselves, but nevertheless it is a rather bad look for Mozilla.

What do you think?

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They always do these little things that sum up to an annoying trend. Overall I personally think it’s not too bad, because they have telemetry enabled from the start anyway. And let’s be real, they need some user data. A project like Firefox is big, has many angles and needs some sort of user feedback. Usually users don’t give that by their own.

I wish they wouldn’t do that, but I get why they do it. But as you already said, fortunately it’s not a concern for Linux users.

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I think the problem I have with it is how Mozilla went about doing it. I don’t mind sharing some data with certain projects, if I know what is collected and how it is used and stored. If you can provide me - up front - with that information in a concise manner, and proceed to ask before collecting it, I would be fine with it. Shipping software with tracking enabled per default makes me less inclined to want to use the application, and shipping tracking in the installer itself seems devious to me. Where is the consent in that?

They surely need the telemetry NOW. Metafox has big money backers and will need to provide some solid ROI sooner than later.

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“Metafox” - love that !!!

This is not the case with LibreWolf, I presume?

Because if it is, I’m just going to quit using the internet. Damn it all…

EDIT: Oh, I see now, it’s only for the windoze installer. That makes sense – if you get it from the Arch repos, all installers are identical, because they have to be signed. Phew…

On windoze, telemetry is really not a big deal, since your OS is the biggest spyware that ever existed, by merely using it, you made it perfectly clear that you do not care about being spied upon. So yeah, go ahead Mozilla, add all sorts of spyware to the windoze version, I don’t care…

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images

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All I could find was this. https://github.com/limbofeather/metafox
Do you have a link?

Michael

I am not excited about it. That I am using firefox is not a secret. Every webpage I visit, incl. mozilla.com, knows that. Now mozilla can track down when I downladed and installed the software from their server. That doesnt matter to me. And I can not even think of a good reason why they want to know that. From my point of view this information is useless.

I’m assuming they do have a good reason despite their preachy protestations about respecting their users.

Anyway, this focus on privacy distracts from how our remaining freedoms are being destroyed.

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They are likely tracking download/activation counts. They could graph this over past releases to see if they are gaining or losing marketshare. The project and the board might use this data in aggregate when courting donors to the foundation. The foundation (a non-profit) has a board that needs to ensure funds are being used wisely and in the best way.

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exactly …

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