FSTDT Forums

Community => Science and Technology => Topic started by: The Illusive Man on January 15, 2013, 03:22:56 pm

Title: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: The Illusive Man on January 15, 2013, 03:22:56 pm
I guess privacy has been thrown out the window by Mozilla. I first noticed this when checking traffic log at work. It’s bad enough that Google has to make a random https requests (*-*-*-*-*-*.metric.gstatic.com:443) to gather info of every browser visiting their search page or related, now Mozilla is trying to be sneaky too.

Any time you visit your homepage / Firefox start page, even if it is about:blank,  snippets-stats.mozilla.org aka the Snippets Impressions Metrics Service (http://snippets-stats.mozilla.org/) is called. I have found out how and why they are doing this on  the mozilla.governance group. (https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!forum/mozilla.governance)

The proposal by Winston Bowden is linked here, all of the quotes below were created by him. (https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/mozilla.governance/9RbsjecBaxM)

Also no optout, and the change homepage thing is bullshit.

Quote
Opt-out

It is not possible for a user to opt-out of this data collection
specifically. However, users can choose to use a different home page,
at which point snippets aren't shown and data isn't collected.


Why:
(click to show/hide)


What is collected:

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: Distind on January 15, 2013, 04:18:41 pm
So what exactly does it collect?
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: The Illusive Man on January 15, 2013, 10:33:08 pm
So what exactly does it collect?

What is spoiled due to length under the "What is collected:" section of my post.
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: Morgenleoht on January 16, 2013, 01:29:47 am
How about a dumbed-down version for the rest of us, please?
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: Shane for Wax on January 16, 2013, 02:08:44 am
Essentially nothing of importance unless you're super whiggy about people knowin' what time you looked at something.
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: Sylvana on January 16, 2013, 06:08:45 am
Essentially nothing of importance unless you're super whiggy about people knowin' what time you looked at something.

This pretty much sums up my feelings about it. Most sites get that information already, and its pretty harmless.
Unless you think that companies are all part of some conspiracy to track people, one world government, new world order or some such stuff. If anything it is just information to assist in the directed advert campaigns and tailoring them to the users browsing habits.
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: Old Viking on January 16, 2013, 04:23:58 pm
If they're spying on me they must be desperate for something to do.
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: Jack Mann on January 16, 2013, 05:06:24 pm
But you don't understand, man!  They're gonna figure out, like, when you're online so they can activate the microwave lasers that they bounce off the chemtrails to spy on you through your fillings.
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: SpaceProg on January 16, 2013, 05:12:59 pm
My fillings are made of that non-conductive composite stuff... so nyah!
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: Cerim Treascair on January 16, 2013, 06:59:34 pm
My fillings are made of that non-conductive composite stuff... so nyah!

Mine too... all seven of them.  No CIA mind rays here!
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: m52nickerson on January 16, 2013, 08:35:27 pm
How about a dumbed-down version for the rest of us, please?

Mozilla is collecting a small amount of innocuous data from it's users to make it's product better.   
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: The Illusive Man on January 16, 2013, 10:09:14 pm
Let me simplify this, I am not against them: collecting user agent data, the snippet name Date & time in the server time zone, address.

What I am bring to attention is that the metrics service is loaded regardless of home page used even about:blank. No active content, no redirects, nothing is supposed to load on or due to about:blank!
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: Witchyjoshy on January 17, 2013, 12:09:40 am
I could care less.
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: SpaceProg on January 17, 2013, 01:35:02 am
^*Grits teeth to keep from correcting*  Must... resist... incorrect word... usage.

;)
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: Shane for Wax on January 17, 2013, 01:44:41 am
Let me simplify this, I am not against them: collecting user agent data, the snippet name Date & time in the server time zone, address.

What I am bring to attention is that the metrics service is loaded regardless of home page used even about:blank. No active content, no redirects, nothing is supposed to load on or due to about:blank!

(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4taxkqwYJ1qmdbzfo1_400.jpg)
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: Morgenleoht on January 17, 2013, 05:56:17 am
Aaaaaand the point is... what?
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: Shane for Wax on January 19, 2013, 12:25:28 am
Making a big deal out of nothing, mein freund (my friend).
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: Art Vandelay on January 20, 2013, 02:49:43 am
I could care less.
*eyetwitch*
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: Witchyjoshy on January 20, 2013, 03:49:26 am
... *sigh*

Fine, no one actually bothered to correct me, so I'll do it myself.

"I could care less."
"You mean couldn't care less."
"No, I mean I could care less, because I care even less about what you're saying right now."

You people don't stumble into jokes very well :P
Title: Re: Mozilla has been spying on Firefox users
Post by: SpaceProg on January 20, 2013, 10:16:26 am
Huh... I've never heard that joke before.  *Shrugs*