Mozilla Faces Backlash Over Firefox Tracking Feature

Mozilla, known for its strong stance on data protection, is now under fire from European data protection group, Noyb. The group, which typically targets big tech firms like Meta, has accused Mozilla of tracking users without their consent through a new Firefox feature. This claim has sparked concern, as Mozilla has long been seen as a privacy advocate.

Felix Mikolasch, the data protection lawyer at Noyb, criticised Firefox developers saying

“By turning Firefox into an advertising measurement tool, Mozilla follows the narrative that the advertising industry has a right to track users. Mozilla may have had good intentions, but it is unlikely that the ‘data-protectable advertising measurement’ will replace cookies and other tracking tools. It is just a new, additional tracking tool.”

At the center of the controversy is a new Firefox function called Privacy Preserving Attribution (PPA). According to Noyb, the name is misleading because, despite its claim of privacy, the Firefox tool enables a tracking feature. The key issue is that Mozilla has enabled this function by default, without asking users for consent, which Noyb argues is a violation of GDPR rules. Under GDPR, users must agree to any data collection in advance, and Noyb contends that Mozilla has failed to comply.

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Mozilla’s Surprising Shift

Mozilla has a reputation for promoting privacy-friendly features, such as blocking cookie-based tracking. The introduction of PPA marks a significant change in direction for the organization. Critics, including Noyb, have drawn comparisons between PPA and Google’s privacy sandbox project. Both initiatives aim to shift tracking efforts to the browser level, replacing the traditional use of cookies.

Noyb argues that this approach still represents an invasion of user privacy. Felix Mikolasch, a lawyer with Noyb, criticized Mozilla’s actions, saying that Firefox has become a tool for advertising, allowing companies to track users without their explicit approval. Noyb’s complaint aims to halt the data collection and push for the deletion of any data gathered so far.

Mozilla’s Defense and Response

In its defence, Mozilla says PPA is not yet a public tool. The firm adds that this tool is still in the test phase and works only on its sites. Chris Hilton, Policy Chief at Mozilla, states the tool’s goal is to boost ads by using less harmful ways. PPA, they claim, helps ad firms see how ads do without taking users’ data. Mozilla also said there were gaps in how they told users, and they plan to be more open and clear on this in the future.

Noyb’s claim brings up key points about Mozilla’s stance on user data with the shift in ad needs. The result of this case will show if Firefox can keep its spot as a browser that puts privacy first. This case might also push Mozilla to change how it deals with the PPA tool.

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