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craft.works
craft.works
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You state that Firefox has no back door which allows you or anyone else to track browser user history or browsing information. But is that really true?

First of all, when a user searches using your browser, the search is conducted through Google. Unless one clicks on the button offered by Google to reject normal choices, and specifically opts out of user data sharing with their company, every trace of the user's search will be mined by Google. You should install an override which automatically precludes this step when searching on your browser, and ensure that there is no such sharing or mining.

Second even your company has admitted that you HAVE opened a back door for the NSA and other government agencies to track user information online. That means your browser is no different than any other one; for anyone who knows how to access and redirect this data can continue to do so, just as they would with any other browser.

While I applaud your effort to minimize data sharing on your browser, your publicity appears to be somewhat of a myth, for it bears little relation to reality .

You state that Firefox has no back door which allows you or anyone else to track browser user history or browsing information. But is that really true? First of all, when a user searches using your browser, the search is conducted through Google. Unless one clicks on the button offered by Google to reject normal choices, and specifically opts out of user data sharing with their company, every trace of the user's search will be mined by Google. You should install an override which automatically precludes this step when searching on your browser, and ensure that there is no such sharing or mining. Second even your company has admitted that you HAVE opened a back door for the NSA and other government agencies to track user information online. That means your browser is no different than any other one; for anyone who knows how to access and redirect this data can continue to do so, just as they would with any other browser. While I applaud your effort to minimize data sharing on your browser, your publicity appears to be somewhat of a myth, for it bears little relation to reality .

All Replies (1)

jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
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craft.works said
First of all, when a user searches using your browser, the search is conducted through Google. Unless one clicks on the button offered by Google to reject normal choices, and specifically opts out of user data sharing with their company, every trace of the user's search will be mined by Google.

Firefox isn't telling Google anything about your browsing, but Firefox does allow sites to set cookies and store data, and then when you visit Google again, it can read its previously set cookies and data to customize your experience (using what it knows about you from previously visits).

Firefox's automatic tracking protection focuses on cross-site tracking, that is, preventing Google from connecting all the dots of your browsing on non-Google sites.

Reducing same-site tracking would require either refusing all cookies from Google, or clearing your Google cookies in between visits. Then you can look like a different random anonymous internet person who isn't the one who searched there yesterday. Do you want to know more about how that would work?

Second even your company has admitted that you HAVE opened a back door for the NSA and other government agencies to track user information online.

Really? I have not heard that. Where did you read that?

Data you upload to Mozilla's cloud using the Sync feature is encrypted on your computer before it is uploaded, so while of course the NSA is very skilled at decryption, it should take a while for it to crack your history. If you are worried about that, don't use Sync or only sync your less sensitive data. See: How do I choose what information to sync on Firefox?