4 ms·
Fenix (Firefox Preview) is not currently free software, as it contains proprietary Google libraries like com.google.android.gms and com.google.firebase. F-Droid
by dTal 7y ago
Fenix (Firefox Preview) is not currently free software, as it contains proprietary Google libraries like com.google.android.gms and com.google.firebase. F-Droid currently maintain the Google-free fork of Firefox that is available on F-Droid, but they have said they lack the resources to do the same for Fenix as well. Until this is resolved, there is an excellent reason not to switch.
https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/162#issuecomment-575199313 https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/162#issuecomm...
- craftyguy 7y agoAgreed. For an organization that preaches "privacy", Mozilla still continues to make stupid decisions about including google crap everywhere.
- dependenttypes 7y agoThere was a post a while ago about Firefox being the browser that calls home the most. I am unsure if Mozilla cared about privacy in a long time really.
- SquishyPanda23 7y agoHere's a talk about some of the privacy-preserving telemetry they're working on https://youtube.com/watch?v=w7AHAq-mU-M https://youtube.com/watch?v=w7AHAq-mU-M
- craftyguy 7y agoIt's literally the 2nd sentence on firefox.com: > Automatic privacy is here. They "care" about it, but they don't care about it.
- staticassertion 7y agoSorry, what's the excellent reason?
- craftyguy 7y agoIt's not free software, it includes proprietary google tracking libraries.
- staticassertion 7y agoOh, yeah I'm OK with Firefox including some blobs from the platform provider.
- heavyset_go 7y agoSome people use LineageOS and others, and don't install platform libraries that are proprietary, so this information is more relevant to them and not so much to you.
- staticassertion 7y agoMakes sense for sure.
- craftyguy 7y agoThat doesn't mean everyone is OK with it. Some of us place a high value on free software and privacy.
- GeorgeWBasic 7y agoIf you're okay with Google tracking libraries, why not just use Chrome instead?
- elaus 7y agoBecause that's a huge difference in regards of "tracking".
- freeone3000 7y agoBecause Chrome on Android can't install extensions.
- muizelaar 7y agoHow is this different from linking against Direct3D on Windows?
- dTal 7y agoBecause a) it's uneccesary and b) the proprietary libraries are in the app, unlike Direct3D where you could theoretically run the program without the proprietary libs (eg in Wine).