5 ms·

I think I'm only surprised to see this comment and not that Firefox bundled analytics into their app. What's controversial about anonymized usage statistics in

I think I'm only surprised to see this comment and not that Firefox bundled analytics into their app. What's controversial about anonymized usage statistics in 2017?

aw3c2 9y ago
Just because everyone is doing it does not mean it is ethical and ok. There is nothing anonymized about sending info about my browsing behaviour to one of the world's biggest corporations that monitors vast amounts of the internet. Mozilla should be doing the good thing, not feed a data kraken.
drdaeman 9y ago
Well, about the very same moment you see "Browse like no one's watching / Automatically block online tracking while you browse" app starts to silently send some data to app.adjust.com and incoming.telemetry.mozilla.org. If that's not controversial, that's at least ironic. (Just to clarify: this particular behavior was observed on a version from a Play Store, not FDroid. And this was about 1.5 months ago or so. But I doubt things had fundamentally changed since then.)
- ams6110 9y ago
  Honestly, if you're browsing through your ISP or carrier's data service, you're not anonymous and people are watching. That point of view is the only way to operate.
- chairmanwow 9y ago
  Ah. I see your point. I failed to consider the context of this application in particular.
- jopsen 9y ago
  Checkout the histograms: https://telemetry.mozilla.org/ https://telemetry.mozilla.org/ Do other vendors let you see their metric dashboards? And if you feel statistics of time to FIRST_PAINT invades your privacy you can disable telemetry reporting. You can also see what your browser collects in about:telemetry, but don't equate performance measurements with surveillance -- that's FUD.
  - drdaeman 9y ago
    Gosh. It's not about what's being sent, and why. It's about a certain promise^W marketing statement and behavior that at least partially contradicts it.
zeep 9y ago
Are you from Google or the NSA?
lucideer 9y ago
I'm not sure from your comment whether you're just being pedantic in pointing out that while regrettable this isn't surprising (in which case your comment is not very constructive), or whether you actually think it's OK for Firefox to do this. Since you've used the term "anonymised" quite pointedly, I'm guessing the latter. I do find it surprising that anyone would assume data Google is collecting on your usage is somehow anonymous.
- chairmanwow 9y ago
  More along the lines of: I now fully expect the cost of entrance for free applications to be data the developers collect of my usage. It's naive to assume otherwise. EDIT: grammar
  - lucideer 9y ago
    That's the case for some, but (1) most applications that lean that way are likely to be closed source as there is a certain sense of apparent moral high ground that comes with open sourcing and (2) more importantly Mozilla sells themselves on respecting privacy, first and foremost.
  - O1111OOO 9y ago
    > I now fully expect the cost of entrance for free applications to be data the developers collect of my usage. Apparently this is also true of applications & services you pay for these days too. Includes ISPs, cell companies, cable apps where you input your customer code, paid subscriptions to online news... the list is endless.
hedora 9y ago
Windows 10 peed in the pool when it redefined "telemetry" to include core dumps, documents, keystrokes, and even remote terminal access for MS engineers. Now, people are rightfully suspicious of any software that phones home at all.
- Drdrdrq 9y ago
  MS did take it to the next level, but for me any application which phones home without users consent is in the wrong. This is one of the major reasons I don't use Chrome. Anywhere.
- slrz 9y ago
  Remote access for MS engineers? Can you explain please?
colordrops 9y ago
Man people have really lowered their standards with privacy these days.

I think I'm only surprised to see this comment and not that Firefox bundled analytics into their app. What's controversial about anonymized usage statistics in 2017?

aw3c2 9y ago

Just because everyone is doing it does not mean it is ethical and ok. There is nothing anonymized about sending info about my browsing behaviour to one of the world's biggest corporations that monitors vast amounts of the internet. Mozilla should be doing the good thing, not feed a data kraken.

drdaeman 9y ago

Well, about the very same moment you see "Browse like no one's watching / Automatically block online tracking while you browse" app starts to silently send some data to app.adjust.com and incoming.telemetry.mozilla.org. If that's not controversial, that's at least ironic. (Just to clarify: this particular behavior was observed on a version from a Play Store, not FDroid. And this was about 1.5 months ago or so. But I doubt things had fundamentally changed since then.)

ams6110 9y ago
Honestly, if you're browsing through your ISP or carrier's data service, you're not anonymous and people are watching. That point of view is the only way to operate.
chairmanwow 9y ago
Ah. I see your point. I failed to consider the context of this application in particular.
jopsen 9y ago
Checkout the histograms: https://telemetry.mozilla.org/ https://telemetry.mozilla.org/ Do other vendors let you see their metric dashboards? And if you feel statistics of time to FIRST_PAINT invades your privacy you can disable telemetry reporting. You can also see what your browser collects in about:telemetry, but don't equate performance measurements with surveillance -- that's FUD.
- drdaeman 9y ago
  Gosh. It's not about what's being sent, and why. It's about a certain promise^W marketing statement and behavior that at least partially contradicts it.

zeep 9y ago

Are you from Google or the NSA?

lucideer 9y ago

I'm not sure from your comment whether you're just being pedantic in pointing out that while regrettable this isn't surprising (in which case your comment is not very constructive), or whether you actually think it's OK for Firefox to do this. Since you've used the term "anonymised" quite pointedly, I'm guessing the latter. I do find it surprising that anyone would assume data Google is collecting on your usage is somehow anonymous.

chairmanwow 9y ago
More along the lines of: I now fully expect the cost of entrance for free applications to be data the developers collect of my usage. It's naive to assume otherwise. EDIT: grammar
- lucideer 9y ago
  That's the case for some, but (1) most applications that lean that way are likely to be closed source as there is a certain sense of apparent moral high ground that comes with open sourcing and (2) more importantly Mozilla sells themselves on respecting privacy, first and foremost.
- O1111OOO 9y ago
  > I now fully expect the cost of entrance for free applications to be data the developers collect of my usage. Apparently this is also true of applications & services you pay for these days too. Includes ISPs, cell companies, cable apps where you input your customer code, paid subscriptions to online news... the list is endless.

hedora 9y ago

Windows 10 peed in the pool when it redefined "telemetry" to include core dumps, documents, keystrokes, and even remote terminal access for MS engineers. Now, people are rightfully suspicious of any software that phones home at all.

Drdrdrq 9y ago
MS did take it to the next level, but for me any application which phones home without users consent is in the wrong. This is one of the major reasons I don't use Chrome. Anywhere.
slrz 9y ago
Remote access for MS engineers? Can you explain please?

colordrops 9y ago

Man people have really lowered their standards with privacy these days.