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> In fact, nearly 25% of web page loads in Firefox take place in a Private Browsing window. If Mozilla knows that, then Private Browsing Mode isn't as private

> In fact, nearly 25% of web page loads in Firefox take place in a Private Browsing window. If Mozilla knows that, then Private Browsing Mode isn't as private as it could be.

cremp 7y ago
It seems you're being downvoted just because it's negative against Firefox. I don't know what it is about the HN community, but knowing that figure throws out any argument for using Firefox as a daily driver. Change my mind.
- Wowfunhappy 7y ago
  I'm not particularly bothered by the idea that Firefox can see how often private browsing is used. If you don't know what features people use, you can't prioritize development resources. Mozilla doesn't know who is using private browsing, or what they are looking at. I can certainly respect that it bothers you—but may I ask what browser you intend to switch to? I'm skeptical that you'll find a better, usable option. That's a sad state of affairs for sure, but also the way of things right now.
- oneofthem 7y ago
  What if the numbers are based on opt-ins only, and extrapolated?
- la_barba 7y ago
  Can you explain how you know that Firefox collects the data versus just asking people in a survey?
nsuser3 7y ago
The total amount of loaded pages in Private Browsing doesn't really have to be private?
- sp332 7y ago
  As long as the data is aggregated and not tied to individual users, I'm ok with it.
  - tomschlick 7y ago
    Thats exactly what firefox telemetry data is. It collects things like % of requests over HTTPS, % over IPv6, etc and sends anonymized stats to Mozilla.
    - satokema_work 7y ago
      But at the end of the day, I'm just taking someone's word for it that this is all they send, and assumes that it won't change over time in a browser that regularly updates itself. It'd be a lot more acceptable if there was an option to show me "This is the exact telemetry payload we want to send to Mozilla." And even then you are taking someone's word for it that there isn't some other piece of data hidden in a hash or something, or that the browser isn't secretly sending data. I'm not quite paranoid enough to do the full monitoring of all network traffic, but how do I reasonably know what is going on without listening to traffic/watching memory at all times? In the end, I'm trusting a faceless corporation that is attempting to put on a facade of trustworthiness. The only trustworthy computer is an unnetworked one.
      - sp332 7y ago
        Check the source code and then build it from source?
      - fwip 7y ago
        You don't know there isn't a government official placing a secret camera across the street from you, watching your computer screen through the window, neither. Eventually, you have to just get on with your life and trust people.
      - mintplant 7y ago
        > It'd be a lot more acceptable if there was an option to show me "This is the exact telemetry payload we want to send to Mozilla." There is! Navigage to about:telemetry in Firefox.

> In fact, nearly 25% of web page loads in Firefox take place in a Private Browsing window. If Mozilla knows that, then Private Browsing Mode isn't as private as it could be.

cremp 7y ago

It seems you're being downvoted just because it's negative against Firefox. I don't know what it is about the HN community, but knowing that figure throws out any argument for using Firefox as a daily driver. Change my mind.

Wowfunhappy 7y ago
I'm not particularly bothered by the idea that Firefox can see how often private browsing is used. If you don't know what features people use, you can't prioritize development resources. Mozilla doesn't know who is using private browsing, or what they are looking at. I can certainly respect that it bothers you—but may I ask what browser you intend to switch to? I'm skeptical that you'll find a better, usable option. That's a sad state of affairs for sure, but also the way of things right now.
oneofthem 7y ago
What if the numbers are based on opt-ins only, and extrapolated?
la_barba 7y ago
Can you explain how you know that Firefox collects the data versus just asking people in a survey?

nsuser3 7y ago

The total amount of loaded pages in Private Browsing doesn't really have to be private?

sp332 7y ago
As long as the data is aggregated and not tied to individual users, I'm ok with it.
- tomschlick 7y ago
  Thats exactly what firefox telemetry data is. It collects things like % of requests over HTTPS, % over IPv6, etc and sends anonymized stats to Mozilla.
  - satokema_work 7y ago
    But at the end of the day, I'm just taking someone's word for it that this is all they send, and assumes that it won't change over time in a browser that regularly updates itself. It'd be a lot more acceptable if there was an option to show me "This is the exact telemetry payload we want to send to Mozilla." And even then you are taking someone's word for it that there isn't some other piece of data hidden in a hash or something, or that the browser isn't secretly sending data. I'm not quite paranoid enough to do the full monitoring of all network traffic, but how do I reasonably know what is going on without listening to traffic/watching memory at all times? In the end, I'm trusting a faceless corporation that is attempting to put on a facade of trustworthiness. The only trustworthy computer is an unnetworked one.
    - sp332 7y ago
      Check the source code and then build it from source?
    - fwip 7y ago
      You don't know there isn't a government official placing a secret camera across the street from you, watching your computer screen through the window, neither. Eventually, you have to just get on with your life and trust people.
    - mintplant 7y ago
      > It'd be a lot more acceptable if there was an option to show me "This is the exact telemetry payload we want to send to Mozilla." There is! Navigage to about:telemetry in Firefox.