VitteliusJul 16, 2024
Thom, exceedingly pure

In case you're using Firefox on mobile - so myself and like four others - disabling Firefox' new Facebook data collection feature is quite a bit harder than on desktop, but it can be done:

  • Go to chrome://geckoview/content/config.xhtml
  • Use the search field to find the entry for aboutConfig and enable it
  • Go to about:config
  • Search for dom.private-attribution.submission.enabled and set it to false

    • Done. This only works on Android, because Firefox on iOS is just a Safari skin.

    Jul 16, 2024 at 9:21amWeb
    Show threadEniko (moved โžก gamedev.place)Jul 16, 2024
    @thomholwerda i use firefox on mobile because i need ublock origin >_> so thank you
    Show threadThom, exceedingly pureJul 16, 2024
    @eniko Yeah I use Firefox on Android for uBlock when I'm not at home (where we have a Pi-Hole to block all ads on our entire network), and because I use Firefox on desktop, and use the tab sharing feature a lot.
    Show threadPaul  ๐ŸงJul 16, 2024
    @thomholwerda @eniko I have my phone rooted and I use AdAway to block all ads.
    The rest of my family uses AdGuard DNSs, have tried any of these?
    Show threadhazelnot Jul 18, 2024
    @eniko @thomholwerda I use Fennec, it's basically Firefox for Android but with the tracking and I think some other proprietary bits removed, if it helps you at all ๐Ÿ˜…
    Show threadprokyonidJul 21, 2024
    @hazelnot @eniko @thomholwerda also using Fennec, quite pleased to discover my about:config already enabled and this 'private data' toggle completely absent
    Show threadjJul 28, 2024

    @prokyonid @hazelnot @eniko @thomholwerda

    I would recommend you to have a look at it again. I observed the same when I saw the post first, but I just rechecked and now it is there. Enabled.

    I think fennec just had some delay until it was distributed.

    Show threadprokyonidJul 28, 2024
    @jonasgraphie @hazelnot @eniko @thomholwerda I saw they pushed an update last night. Must have been sent through with that
    Show threadjJul 28, 2024

    @prokyonid @hazelnot @eniko @thomholwerda

    Yes, definitely. I just checked: The update from July 26 is to Version 128. This is the version introducing this "feature".

    Show threadNatashaJul 16, 2024
    @thomholwerda FYI, the first setting is under "general.aboutConfig.enable" on Firefox for Android. So search for "aboutConfig" not "about:config".
    Show threadThom, exceedingly pureJul 16, 2024
    @natarasee Whoops, totally right. Good catch, thank you! Fixed the post.
    Show threadkaybeeque ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ’ช๐ŸJul 16, 2024

    @thomholwerda @natarasee ah, thanks very much for the clarification. I hadn't picked up that there were two separate toggles to check (my general one was already set to False).

    Now done ๐Ÿ‘

    Show threadDibsJul 16, 2024
    @thomholwerda I can't even open chrome://geckoview/content/config.xhtml - it just assumes I meant to enter an https:// address and f's it up
    Show threadAlexander The 1stJul 16, 2024

    @dtwx @thomholwerda If you paste it in, you have to manually add the prefix of `chrome://` again.

    At least in non-In Private Mode, that was necessary - it seemed to paste in fine in In Private Mode, though it... apparently kept those options around outside of In Private Mode based on checking in non-In Private Mode.

    Show threadBryceJul 16, 2024
    @AT1ST @dtwx @thomholwerda the link doesn't go anywhere
    Show threadAlexander The 1stJul 16, 2024

    @NationMeta @dtwx @thomholwerda Huh - on Android Firefox?

    Should look like it goes to here:

    Show threadBryceJul 16, 2024

    @AT1ST @dtwx @thomholwerda
    OP has extra letters at the end of the URL where there should be a space. I copied all of it without noticing. ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks for getting back to us.

    chrome://geckoview/content/config.xhtml

    Show threadAlexander The 1stJul 16, 2024
    @NationMeta @dtwx @thomholwerda Glad it worked out in the end - thanks for letting us know what caused the confusion!
    Show threadJohn MorahanJul 16, 2024
    @dtwx @thomholwerda that happened to me too when I tried to copy and paste, but typing it in seems to work
    Show threadWildduckJul 16, 2024
    @dtwx @thomholwerda Yep. I had to paste the adress, then write the chrome:// part at the beginning. It worked this way.
    Show threadMeaTLoTioNJul 16, 2024

    @thomholwerda It's ghastly how much telemetry people keep putting in stuff these days, it is beyond a joke now.

    Telnet BBS for the win! ๐Ÿ˜…

    Show threadTudbuTJul 16, 2024

    @thomholwerda i use it! and i even bullied my dad into also doing that!

    also wth facebook?!

    Show threadmiraculous enbybugJul 16, 2024
    @TudbuT @thomholwerda yeah not sure whatโ€™s would be the link with Facebook?
    Show threadThom, exceedingly pureJul 16, 2024
    @melunaka @TudbuT It's developed in cooperation with Facebook. https://www.osnews.com/story/140247/i-told-you-so-mozilla-working-with-facebook-to-weaken-firefox-privacy-and-anti-tracking-features/
    I told you so: Mozilla working with Facebook to weaken Firefoxโ€™ privacy and anti-tracking features โ€“ OSnews

    Show threadmiraculous enbybugJul 16, 2024
    @thomholwerda @TudbuT Mozilla is really digging its own grave, isnโ€™t it.
    Show threadMatheo_bisJul 16, 2024
    @melunaka @thomholwerda @TudbuT Time to build ladybird browser
    Show threadThom, exceedingly pureJul 16, 2024
    @Matheo_bis @melunaka @TudbuT Don't. Ladybird is run by a transphobe.
    Show threadMatheo_bisJul 16, 2024
    @thomholwerda @melunaka @TudbuT Deam, why can't he have nice things?
    Show threadTunguskaJul 16, 2024

    @Matheo_bis

    I'm rooting for Servo @servo
    myself. It's a ways from an end-user-ready browser at this point, but looks to be getting lots of active development, under the stewardship of The Linux Foundation, and I haven't come across any indication of gross toxicity among the project leadership.

    @thomholwerda @melunaka @TudbuT

    Show threadRushLanaJul 16, 2024
    @Matheo_bis
    @melunaka @thomholwerda @TudbuT
    Or with servo !
    Show threadchocobo13ฮถJul 16, 2024
    @thomholwerda
    I guess with the news that Switzerland will be funding open source tools for stuff their government employees use, we may be seeing a new browser coming from a team mostly based there, if we are lucky. Depends on whether Firefox or Chromium are considered "good enough" for their purposes
    @melunaka @TudbuT
    Show threadedzobJul 16, 2024
    @thomholwerda going to chrome: surprised me
    Show threadjosh g.Jul 18, 2024
    @edzob @thomholwerda same. is android Firefox a chrome reskin?
    Show threadalex_pkJul 19, 2024
    @joshg @edzob @thomholwerda no :)
    Before chrome was even born, Mozilla called the browser's interface "chrome" to distinguish it from the engine (gecko).
    I think that's where Google took the name when they built their "chrome" around khtml.
    Show threadedzobJul 19, 2024

    @alex_pk @joshg @thomholwerda thanks!
    never knew that. today I learned ๐Ÿ˜Š

    for the archive some links for this piece of history

    https://firefox-source-docs.mozilla.org/overview/gecko.html

    https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Chrome "The name comes from the graphical user interface frame, or "chrome", of web browsers."

    Gecko โ€” Firefox Source Docs documentation

    Show threadstupid hot girlJul 16, 2024
    @thomholwerda bigger wtf is they hid about:config on mobile?? i remember just being able to go to it..
    Show threadDavid SJul 18, 2024
    @zvava @thomholwerda it's enabled by default on beta/nightly but not on release for some reason
    Show threadRushLanaJul 16, 2024
    @thomholwerda
    Doesn't seems to exist on Fennec-fdroid, hope the maintainer set it to false when they rebase on Firefox.
    Show threadPaul  ๐ŸงJul 16, 2024
    @Lana @thomholwerda do you feel Fennec slower than FF?
    Can you use add-ons like Ublock?
    Show threadRushLanaJul 16, 2024
    @Paul_Aguayo
    @thomholwerda
    I can use ublock and don't feel load speed differences.
    Show threadPaul  ๐ŸงJul 16, 2024
    @Lana @thomholwerda thanks for the info
    Show threaddataf#zฬฝฬฟฬ‹ฬŠฬŠฬƒอจฬŽอ„ฬงา‰zฬŽฬƒอฆฬอ‹อ›ฬ†อฏอœJul 16, 2024
    @thomholwerda thank you so much ive just looked for it in the settings but couldn't find it so figured maybe they didn't implement it on phones. putting this opt out option out of sight is really a shame.
    Show threadPaul  ๐ŸงJul 16, 2024
    @datafuzz @thomholwerda try to search for aboutConfig without the colon
    Show threadFrance Jorโ˜๏ธJul 16, 2024

    @thomholwerda Thank you for the tip.

    (But it is just incredible that we have to go through all that just to disable something that should at least have been an opt-in, or shouldnโ€™t have existed at all. ๐Ÿ˜ฌ)

    Show threadPaul  ๐ŸงJul 16, 2024
    @jor @thomholwerda agree
    Show threadThe Young TinkererJul 16, 2024
    Ice raven is amazing on Android
    Show threadqraziJul 16, 2024
    @thomholwerda One of the others thanks you sir!
    Show threadPhoto Ewen ๐Ÿ“ทJul 16, 2024

    @thomholwerda

    Thankyou! That's not an easy stone to turn.