[clug] Firefox browser ... collects data about you -There are different APIs and formats to collect data in Firefox

[George at Clug]

My paranoia triggered again. But maybe the data leakage is not that serious after all?

In the age where companies are doing their best to track you and collect data about you, the Firefox web browser told me "Firefox browser collects so little data about you", which is basically an admission that "Firefox browser collects data about you".

This saddens me, is there anything that does not collect data about me? Not even why my browser died? 

I can see why the average user just gives up, and no longer bothers to care any more.




https://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/71.0/whatsnew/all/?oldversion=70.0.1
No account required. But you might want one.

The Firefox browser collects so little data about you, we don’t even require your email address. But when you use it to create a Firefox account, we can protect your privacy across more of your online life.

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/privacy/faq/
We only collect the data we need to make the best products.

But why do you collect any data at all?

    If we don’t know how the browser is performing or which features people use, we can’t make it better and deliver the great product you want. We’ve invested in building data collection and analysis tools that allow us to make smart decisions about our product while respecting people's privacy.

Okay, those first few were softballs. What data do you collect?

    Mozilla does collect a limited set of data by default from Firefox that helps us to understand how people use the browser. That data is tied to a random identifier, rather than your name or email address. You can read more about that on our privacy notice and you can read the full documentation for that data collection.

https://firefox-source-docs.mozilla.org/toolkit/components/telemetry/

https://firefox-source-docs.mozilla.org/toolkit/components/telemetry/collection/index.html
Data collection

There are different APIs and formats to collect data in Firefox, all suiting different use cases.

In general, we aim to submit data in a common format where possible. This has several advantages; from common code and tooling to sharing analysis know-how.

https://firefox-source-docs.mozilla.org/toolkit/components/telemetry/collection/webextension-api.html
WebExtension API for Telemetry

Use the browser.telemetry API to send telemetry data to the Mozilla Telemetry service. Restricted to Mozilla privileged webextensions.

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/with-firefox-stop-leaking-your-data-across-the-internet/
A fingerprinter is an especially stealthy tool that websites and advertisers use to build a specific profile of your online activities, using subtle hints your browser leaves on websites you visit. Factors include which browser you use, which extensions you've installed, your networking configuration, your device's time and your wireless settings. In essence, you've left your "fingerprints" all over your browsing activity.

Taken all together, these small bits of information can form a unique set of characteristics about you and your machine that can advertisers can use to identify your individual device and track you across the web without your permission.


https://www.consumerreports.org/privacy/Google-Firefox-browser-extensions-expose-personal-data/
The extensions collected a host of information that wasn’t authorized by either browser, exposing not only complete browsing histories but also access to files such as tax returns, medical records, credit card information, and other highly sensitive data, according to a report by Sam Jadali, an independent researcher who discovered the problem. 

This data was then shared with the data broker Nacho Analytics, where it could be purchased for as little as $10 to $50, according to Jadali, whose report was first described in Ars Technica.

“I didn’t believe it at first,” Jadali says. He was able to see such sensitive information as people’s medical prescriptions, personal financial data, and travel itineraries.

Browser extensions—also known as plug-ins or add-ons—are small apps that consumers can install to run alongside their browser for additional functionality. 

According to Jadali, the extensions included apps with hundreds of thousands to millions of users, including FairShare Unlock, HoverZoom, and SpeakIt, along with some extensions with just a handful of users. His report, titled DataSpii, has the full list. 




https://www.fastcompany.com/90174010/bye-chrome-why-im-switching-to-firefox-and-you-should-too
While the amount of data about me may not have caused harm in my life yet–as far as I know–I don’t want to be the victim of monopolistic internet oligarchs as they continue to cash in on surveillance-based business models. What’s a concerned citizen of the internet to do? Here’s one no-brainer: Stop using Chrome and switch to Firefox.

Google already runs a lot of my online life–it’s my email, my calendar, my go-to map, and all my documents.