An update on Mozilla's PPA experiment and how it protects user privacy while testing cutting edge technologies to improve the open web.

EDIT: Yeah... bad idea. Got it.

I've been thinking about this for while. Sometimes there are situations where I have to log into one of my accounts temporarily to look at or take something and logging in is usually a pain in the ass or straight up uncomfortable.

So my idea is that this feature will allow to temporarily share/relay the cookies stored in the mobile browser that are used to remember logged in accounts (login credentials?) over a secure wireless or wired USB connection to use with the desktop browser (in a temporary container/session to not conflict with other users' data) in order to do whatever I do and then wipe out all data upon mobile device removal.

So... what do you think?

Why doesn't BPC just split the functionality of the extension, so that the filter list is a separate entity?

I've enabled "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed" but while all cookies gets deleted, some random site data does not. Are my settings wrong, is this a bug, and what even is that data?

Additional Info: I use RFP, want to keep browsing history and site settings. Thank you very much.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/18796438

Spotted by: https://www.soeren-hentzschel.at/mozilla/exklusiv-sehen-wir-hier-das-neue-mozilla-logo/

Related Article: Mozilla’s New Logo Brings Back the Dinosaur Mascot (Kinda)

Hi!

I like to have some preferred websites showing up as big icons in a new tab (4 rows of 8 icons each).

I had them pinned and rearranged to my liking but today they're all gone.

Before I try to recreate it as it was, maybe there is a good extension for a startpage? All I need is some big favicons (not any other feature like weather).

edit: I'm going through the extensions but can't find one that I like. Is it possible to make a backup of the pinned websites so if Firefox resets them I can just bring them back? It only happened twice in a few years but it takes a while to restore.

I really enjoy Firefox on Android as I can install a bunch of extensions and I find those extensions game changer, especially on the mobile.

One of my favorites are

• Libredirect - literally one of my favorite ones. Redirects popular sites to privacy focused frontends, like YouTube to Invidious, etc.
• uBlock Origin - I guess everyone knows this one
• Privacy Badger - blocks trackers
• Ghostery - blocks trackers, ads, scripts, etc.

What extensions do you guys use?

I use a 14px bitmap font as part of my system theme. It is set to display at 14px in my gtk theme which works for tabs, bookmarks, right-click menus, and other parts of Firefox UI, but the Firefox address bar doesn't seem to be the same size and is blurry.

How do I change the font size of the address bar? Is there an element I can target in userChrome?

I changed emails on my Mozilla account, and then trying to log in again with it, it prompted me to create a new account. I made a Firefox support post 2 weeks ago but got no responses.

https://beta.maps.apple.com/

• Firefox Nightly 131 introduces vertical tabs and an improved sidebar, enhancing tab management and multitasking for users with many open tabs.
• The vertical tabs feature, similar to Microsoft Edge, keeps tabs organized on the left-hand side and can be customized via Firefox Labs settings.
• Additional features include AI chatbot integration in the sidebar and ongoing development of tab grouping and profile management tools.

Mozilla’s system only measures the success rate of ads—it doesn’t help companies target those ads—and it’s less susceptible to abuse, EFF’s Lena Cohen told @FastCompany@flipboard.com. “It’s much more privacy-preserving than Google’s version of the same feature.”

https://mastodon.social/@eff/112922761259324925

Privacy experts say the new toggle is mostly harmless, but Firefox users saw it as a betrayal.

“They made this technology for advertisers, specifically,” says Jonah Aragon, founder of the Privacy Guides website. “There’s no direct benefit to the user in creating this. It’s software that only serves a party other than the user.”

Mozilla has a close relationship with Google, as most of Firefox's revenue comes from the agreement keeping Google as the browser's default search engine. However, the search giant is now officially a monopoly, and a future court decision could have an unprecedented impact on Mozilla's ability to keep things "business as usual."

United States District Judge Amit Mehta found Google guilty of building a monopolistic position in web search. The Mountain View corporation spent billions of dollars becoming the leading search provider for computing platforms and web browsers on PC and mobile devices.

Most of the $21 billion spent went to Apple in exchange for setting Google as the default search engine on iPhone, iPad, and Mac systems. The judge will now need to decide on a penalty for the company's actions, including the potential of forcing Google to stop payments to its search "partners completely," which could have dire consequences for smaller companies like Mozilla.

Its most recent financials show Mozilla gets $510 million out of its $593 million in total revenue from its Google partnership. This precarious financial position is a side effect of its deal with Alphabet, which made Google the search engine default for newer Firefox installations.

The open-source web browser has experienced a steady market share decline over the past few years. Meanwhile, Mozilla management was paid millions to develop a new "vision" of a theoretical future with AI chatbots. Mozilla Corporation, the wholly owned subsidiary of Mozilla Foundation managing Firefox development, could find itself in a severe struggle for revenue if Google's money suddenly dried up.

Direct link: https://qsurvey.mozilla.com/s3/413b49c8ae9e

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/20260243

Google Chrome warns uBlock Origin may soon be disabled

Google Chrome is now encouraging uBlock Origin users who have updated to the latest version to switch to other ad blockers before Manifest v2 extensions are disabled.

A Mozilla employee recently released a Firefox addon to change the user agent to Chrome on sites the user enables it on.

• https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/chrome-mask/
• https://reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/1eic7bj/chroe_mask_makes_firefox_wear_a_mask_to_look_like/

PSA (?): just got this popup in Firefox when i was on an amazon product page. looked into it a bit because it seemed weird and it turns out if you click the big "yes, try it" button, you agree to mandatory binding arbitration with Fakespot and you waive your right to bring a class action lawsuit against them. this is awesome thank you so much mozilla very cool

https://queer.party/@m04/112872517189786676

So, Mozilla adds an AI review features for products you view using Firefox. Other than being very useless, it's T&C are as anti-consumer as it possibly can be. It's like mozilla saying directly "we don't care about your privacy".

I'm actually pissed. I and many other users on the forum got an email from Chris Hayes on this:

Hello,

This is a friendly email to make you aware that your personal email address is currently visible to the whole internet via Mozilla's Discourse forum. It will show up in Google Search results. The affected email is the one that this email was sent to.

Many users may not be aware that their email address is publicly visible and Mozilla has not done anything about it in the 4 years it has been known, so I've taken this into my own hands to inform you.

What can you do?

You can update your profile name to be something else (actually, profile name is completely optional, so you can leave it blank if you want).

Steps to update profile name:

1. If you search for "Mozilla Discourse forum" it should be one of the first results.
2. Login. (Top-right)
3. Click on your profile picture at the top right.
4. Then, click on your username, at the top of the dropdown menu.
5. Click on the "Preferences" button.
6. Change the "Name" field, and click "Save Changes".

How did this happen?

There's a misconfiguration with Mozilla's Discourse forum that when you sign up with your Firefox account, it will by default use your personal email address as your profile's public name.

This is not a new issue, and has been known since 2020. The Mozilla Discourse forum is not actively maintained by Mozilla, so this has yet to be fixed.

You are one of 4,630 other users impacted by this privacy issue. It impacts 19% of all forum users, and 28% of new users.

More information:

There's a Discourse discussion about this problem here: https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/email-is-displayed-by-default-for-the-new-account/92266

If you have connections to Mozilla, please help escalate this issue to the right people. This is a serious and long-standing privacy issue at an organization that should value "Privacy by default".

Sincerely,@chrisA fellow Mozillian

I am not Mozilla: This is not an official Mozilla email, I do not represent or work for Mozilla. This is an email from a fellow community member spreading awareness of this unaddressed privacy issue.

So we run VMware, and this morning I go and check a thing, and Firefox gives me an error.. connection insecure cert is invalid

No I don’t have the exact verbiage

But Edge and Chrome opened it just fine. Whisky Tango?

It was a rekeyed , and re installed the cert for an easy ish fix.

But I’m far more weirded out that FF slapped it down ; and the other two were like; Ja sure no problem…

??

Betterfox

31% faster than regular Firefox1 :rocket:

about:config tweaks to enhance Mozilla Firefox.

:new: Now with ESR support.

Made for everyday browsing

A secure, blazing fast browsing experience. Without breakage.

Betterfox is an opinionated preference list inspired by the law of diminishing returns and the minimum effective dose.

Required reading

If you don't have it already: Get Firefox

0. Create a backup profile.
1. Download the user.js file here (Right click > Save Link As…).
2. Review Common Overrides and make any necessary changes.
   • See also Optional Hardening for other recommendations.
3. Open Firefox. In the URL bar, type about:profiles and press Enter.
4. For the profile you want to use (or use default), click Open Folder in the Root Directory section.
5. Move the user.js file into the folder.

After restarting Firefox:

1. Get an ad blocker like uBlock Origin with our recommended filters.
2. Enable DNS-level protection with NextDNS. Use the link and support this page!
   • Check out our configuration guide for the best experience.
   • See how to quickly enable secure DNS in Firefox.

Simple goals

1. Minimalism: get what isn't needed out of the way
2. Efficiency: unleash Firefox's ability to be fast and performant
3. Privacy: protect your data without causing site breakage

Simple configs

Fastfox, Securefox, Peskyfox, and Smoothfox are guides to settings within Firefox.

The user.js — a configuration file that controls Firefox settings — is curated from these guides.

Recognition

Browser Integration

• Midori | files (Dec 2023?)
• Mercury | files (Sep 2023)
• Waterfox | files (Sep 2023)
• Floorp 1 2 | files (Apr 2023)
• Pulse | files (Dec 2021)
• Ghostery Private Browser 1 2 | files (Feb 2021)

YouTube

• The ULTIMATE Browser Tier List (Mar 2023)
• I Hate Firefox. But I'm Still Switching Back to It. (Nov 2022)
• [Español] Optimize and Accelerate Firefox (Nov 2022)
• How To Improve Firefox Performance (Dec 2021)

Podcasts

• [Italian] Digitalia.fm | 1:41:35–1:42:41 (July 2023)
• GhoSTORIES with Franz & Pete | 17:05–18:40 (Feb 2021)

Articles

• Browsers for Daily Using (Jan 2024)
• Avoiding Manifest V3 – Escaping the Ad-Pocalypse (Dec 2023)
• [German] Pulse Browser Review: Firefox fork with Turbo tweaks and Opera sidebar (Apr 2023)
• 2023 Browser Showdown: Comparing Chrome, Brave, Firefox, Vivaldi, and Opera (Jan 2023)

Guides

• FMHY Browser Tools: Privacy Tweaks
• Firefox-UI-Fix
• Narsil/desktop_user.js
• pyllyukko/user.js comparator

Reviews

• “I use this one ... The performance is absolutely amazing. There’s definitely a huge difference when it comes to loading sites.” - DIRIKtv
• "BetterFox ... will provide good-enough privacy and help with performance." - Qdoit12Super
• "...drastically changed the experience with Firefox for me. Improved speed, security, smoothness, and removed clutter." - AppDate
• "Firefox with uBlock Origin extension and tuned with Betterfox is faster than Safari." - cugeloid
• "I don't think I could use Firefox without Betterfox." - Professional_Fun4616
• "The best collection of tweaks available." - AuRiMaS
• "FF is now much snappier!" - whotheff
• "...the experience is so good now I don’t think I’ll go back to any of the chromium based browsers." - Mr_Compromise

Support

If you like the project, leave a :star: (top right) and become a stargazer!

Credit

• Betterfox mirrors the ongoing work provided by arkenfox. Additionally, this repository includes content reproduced or adapted from other sources. Credit for overlapping material goes to the original authors.
• Appreciation goes to the Firefox team and developers working on Bugzilla, fighting for the open web.
• A special thanks to Alex Kontos of Waterfox for his collaboration in v.116.
• Many thanks to the 2021 Ghostery team for testing Betterfox at scale in its early days.