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Comment by henil2911 | Hacker News Reader

It makes me sad to see people targeting Mozilla for everything.

Like yeah its default browser is Google because that's the way they can pay developers to work on it. For now they are only viable alternative in browser space.

Yeah it collects data(only after asking for appropriate permission) which too is anonymous(i might be wrong here). But they are not collecting it to make profit out of it like google. Its only to make firefox better.

And people suggesting to use forks of firefox keep in mind if there is no firefox there are no forks. I am not qualified to comment on Mozilla's way of handling their funds. But it is what it is for now.

But atleast if you use firefox daily show some love!

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It's nigh-impossible to please privacy absolutists, while also hoping to create a consumer friendly (UX-wise) product. It also takes very little for them to toss the baby out with the bathwater.

Which is all a bit baffling since we already have a privacy absolutist's dream version of Firefox called the Tor Browser.

The problem is, so called "anonymized" data is able to identify you (sometimes with very few data points required. Source: https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/24/researchers-spotlight-the-...). Mozilla advertises Firefox as the browser that doesn't track you, but that's just wrong (since FF has quite a bit of telemetry). And it's on by default, and since people who are new to the privacy mindset may not know about how this telemetry is on, it's sad how Firefox is still recommended.

I used to work at Mozilla until recently and what you're talking about is nonsense. The telemetry data is handled extremely carefully. Any downstream use of that data is also carefully managed so that creating re-identifiable data is not possible.

Could Mozilla reidentify people with raw telemetry - sure. Is it easy or done in practice - no. Shut the hell up unless you know better than someone who has handled that data.

Seriously folks - Mozilla has problems - but proper handling of your private data is not one of them.

> Like yeah its default browser is Google because that's the way they can pay developers to work on it.

Not many people complain about this btw. It's a foolish argument. If Yahoo or DDG is the default, most people will just switch back to Google.

>only after asking for appropriate permission

No. it's opt out.

> which too is anonymous

>There is no firefox there are no forks

That's one of the most important points. Without Firefox, TOR browser will not exist either.

>But atleast if you use firefox daily show some love!

Yep! It's my default browser. Has killer features no other browser has.

> Not many people complain about this btw. It's a foolish argument. If Yahoo or DDG is the default, most people will just switch back to Google.

That was in reply to a comment which was deleted by the commenter.

>only after asking for appropriate permission

>No. it's opt out.

Oh never noticed that. But I think that's because its just annoyance for the people who don't care about privacy. And those who does can just opt out.

> which too is anonymous

> No

Whatever it maybe I trust Mozilla more than Google. I am not being a fanboy too. Mozilla is not some giant tech company selling your data to advertisers.

> Oh never noticed that. But I think that's because its just annoyance for the people who don't care about privacy. And those who does can just opt out.

Opt-out is still a dark pattern. For those who don't care about privacy, it should default to no data collection, with simple language detailing what will be collected, and what it's used for.

I'm still in your camp though in that I'd trust Mozilla to not sell my data and instead use it to only improve their products.

>It makes me sad to see people targeting Mozilla for everything

Not for everything but the disgusting management, and the trow out of real Devs. Mozilla management, shut up and make a good browser and leave the rest to the EFF.

BTW: Don't link youtube videos if you want to unfuck (yes if you mean it write it..you know WITH the U). And please make the Firefox Logo in Rainbow-color, not because you stand behind it, but because it gives you that cozy feeling that your are the good ones.

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