Firefox is one of the OG internet browser that ’s know for its feature - rich , privateness - rivet , and heart-to-heart - source nature . But in the preceding few year , the troupe has made many confutative decision leading to the loss of its user radical to other concealment - rivet , candid - reservoir browsers . Let ’s look at the current issue with the Firefox web web browser , how you’re able to fix them , and which are your other options .
Firefox Now Has Ads in the Address Bar
In September 2021,Firefox launched a new feature film called Firefox Suggest . Now when you search for anything in the destination bar , Firefox can recommend hooey that can be useful to you as you type . The problem is some of the substance that appears in proposition are from partners and they are frequent . In other words , ads .
To make it escape , Firefox also collects some user info such as search interrogation , engagement with suggestions , and metropolis - point location . It also passes some of the anon. information to its partners . Though they are using lean datum practices anddata privacy rule , it is n’t what exploiter were expecting .
Telemetry Was Enabled By Default Without Letting Users Know
To make the substance abuser experience well , Firefoxcollects info about crash reports and other technical and fundamental interaction dataas is commonly done by most apps . But apart from that the web internet browser also gather info about the operate system , display result , etc . Firefox uses unique identifier in its installerto understand how many the great unwashed are downloading the installer and how many multitude are actually set up it . Firefox uses all this datum to recommend personalized extensions to users .
There are no claims about Firefox using the data in the wrong way . Having aver that , ideally , Firefox should have users know about this during the apparatus process itself . Also , the feature of speech should be disabled by nonpayment and if not , then that should be conveyed to the exploiter as well .
Includes Third-Party Closed Source Software
Firefox add up with the Pocket extension preinstalled . While the extension do work great and we love it , it is a closed - source product and may not resonate with all Firefox users , many of whom are here for seclusion and surety . Not to cite , Firefox also use Google as the default hunting engine which is of course a closed - source intersection . However , you may switch to a different search railway locomotive like DuckDuckGo which is more secret in nature .
Though you’re able to hit them , it goes against the idea of being an open - rootage mathematical product . While the Firefox internet browser itself is open - generator , some scene of it are not .
What Can We Do About It
The gentle way of life is to use another browser app that ’s privateness - focussed and not plagued by these issues . One internet browser that I can recommend isLibrawolf . It is a Firefox ramification , runs on Gecko , and looks like a Firefox web internet browser too . The advantage is that there are no advertising , no telemetry is enabled by default , and no closed - source products are pack into it . It is available on all desktop OSes but lacks fluid apps .
If you do n’t take care using a Chromium browser app , a better choice is using theBrave browser app . It is undetermined source and runs on blockchain . As an added advantage , the execution is also fast than any gecko web browser .
We have done an in - depthcomparison between Brave and Firefox .
But if you prefer to use Firefox , no worries . We can change Firefox ’s default option scene to make it private and secure again , as close to as it was before .
1.First , let ’s stop the ads in the address bar . To do that , press thehamburger menuat the top veracious box and select theSettingsoption to open Firefox preferences .
2.Now selectSearchfrom the left over sidebar and then scroll down to theSearch suggestionssection . Here turn offProvide search suggestions .
3.To stoppage telemetry that is enabled by default , openFirefox options > Privacy & Securityand turn off all three option underFirefox Data Collection and Use .
4.you’re able to remove the Pocket reference by right - clicking on the Pocket ikon and clicking onRemove from Toolbaroption .
5.Now openFirefox setting > Homeand turn offRecommended by Pocketoption .
6.Finally you could change the search railway locomotive fromFirefox options > Searchand underDefault Search Engine . prefer your preferred search engine here .
Apart from that , there are other ways to better your privacy on Firefox . Everything can not be configure from options . But you may make some change from the about : config page on Firefox . get to the config Thomas Nelson Page by enteringabout : configin the address prevention and pressEnter . Then click onAccept the peril and Continue .
Now search for each of the following taste and set their value accordingly as provide .
you may select a value like True or False by bivalent clicking on them .
add a user.js single file to your Firefox profile root files will make the process automatic . A user.js file is a javascript file that is school text - based . It reside in the etymon directory of a profile and is used to set preference for that visibility when Firefox go .
1.To get started , first openGithub page , get across on the greenCodebutton at the top and then click onDownload ZIP .
2.Once downloaded , distill the aught file harmonize to your OS and preferred app . You should find the user.js captain booklet .
3.start the leaflet and replicate all the filing cabinet in this folder .
4.Now openabout : profilespage from the savoir-faire legal community in Firefox . Now in the default option profile , tap theShow in folderorShow in Finderbutton beside Root Directory .
5.Then paste all the files into the root directory of the visibility .
That ’s it , all the change will be applied mechanically . It also changes the projection screen resolution to the most normally used 1800×900 . Screen resolution is one of the commonly used data breaker point by company totrack users by fingerprint . By changing the answer to something that is usually used , we can trim back the uniqueness of our gimmick and specification .
It hide your O and changes to Windows 10 as it is the most unremarkably used OS . It also changes all the equipment info . you may affirm byopening DeviceInfo site .
Bringing Firefox Back
Firefox may not have all setting to our like by nonremittal . But it gives us enough chance to disable what we do not desire . With a few proceedings of tinkering , you could better privacy and cut tracking activities on Firefox . With the help of the user.js file , we can block up fingerprinting too . To take this one whole tone further , try theseFirefox annexe that improve your secrecy .
That ’s the stunner of open - source but for the less savvy , it takes aside from the experience . Ideally , we like Brave ’s overture better where ads and tracker are wrick off by nonremittal , even ads , and tokens . you may enable them manually if you need to earn while surfriding .