4 ms·

Firefox search app silently logs Firefox address bar searches

72 points by arcfor 12y ago

huhtenberg 12y ago
Shouldn't be of any surprise to anyone who's willingly using the whole damn operating system from a company rooted in tracking of everyone in sight. Edit -- The notability of the post hinges on whether the OP is running one of the stock Android versions or a custom build. Because if it's former, there could really be no expectations of privacy.
- annoying_tech 12y ago
  AOSP is clean of any Google-ish surveillance programs. Best example is Cyanogen. Of course, Google Apps are not.
  - huhtenberg 12y ago
    Is OP running Cyanogen? That would've indeed been something.
    - arcfor 12y ago
      I will be within the next 24 hours, if Sunshine 3.0 gets released as promised. :-)
demetris 12y ago
That is not the Google Search app. It is the search interface you get when you use the Firefox Search homescreen widget. (This is on Android, BTW.)
- magicalist 12y ago
  Yep. If you have Firefox installed on your Android, just drag up from the bottom and use "Firefox Search".
- arcfor 12y ago
  I addressed this below, but I should probably repost it here. Here's my take on it: When choosing search apps, it's listed as "Firefox Search". However: * it was automatically installed on my phone because it was the only present search app * it replaced the nearly identical Google Search app, which I explicitly disabled * At least on my phone, it only allows Google * it doesn't conform to the Firefox data clearing * it doesn't conform to the Firefox search engine preference As far as I can tell, "Firefox Search" means "Google Search hooked into Firefox". To be fair, I noticed that app name difference only after posting.
  - magicalist 12y ago
    > AFAIK, it only allows Google Mine defaults to Yahoo, which is exactly what you'd expect from the Firefox Search app. It's just a launcher intent that was registered when you installed Firefox. Here's the help article: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/search-firefox-instantly-android-home-screen https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/search-firefox-instantl... According to the bottom box on that page, your search history should have been cleared from the steps you took. Sounds like a bug. edit: you can prove this to yourself by going to Settings -> Apps -> Firefox, scrolling down to the "Launch By Default" section and clicking the "Clear Defaults" button. The next time you drag up from the bottom, your phone will ask you what you want to launch by default (assuming you still have other launchers, e.g. the Google App installed).
    - arcfor 12y ago
      I'm on a Verizon HTC M8 running Android 4.4.4. Mine only allows Google.
      - annoying_tech 12y ago
        Oneplus One 4.4.4, only Google.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
  - 12y ago
cr3ative 12y ago
Some deeper explanation would be nice here - how did the data end up there? Is the app hooking in to Firefox to pick this information up? Or are you just signed in to your Google account on both (Google search itself in Firefox, and Google Search via your Google sign-in on the Android?)
ithkuil 12y ago
Does it work the other way around? If I type something in any browser on android, will the history be available to other browsers ? (i.e. some kind of history API)
- Niten 12y ago
  No it does not, in fact it doesn't even work the way the author claimed. He or she mistook an activity bundled with the Firefox app for the Google Search app. In reality that search history was never persisted outside the Firefox app.
  - arcfor 12y ago
    It only allows Google, despite my using another default search engine. The data is certainly persisting somewhere outside of Firefox proper, as the search app is siphoning data that can only be cleared from within.
    - Niten 12y ago
      > The data is certainly persisting somewhere outside of Firefox proper, as the search app is siphoning data that can only be cleared from within. That does not follow. They are the same application. For example, attempt to reproduce this after pressing the Clear Data and Clear Cache buttons on Firefox's Android app info screen.
asuffield 12y ago
Does anybody know what app this is? It appears to have a Firefox icon on it. My stock Nexus phone does not seem to have this app - swiping up from the home icon gives you Now.
- arcfor 12y ago
  When choosing search apps, it's listed as "Firefox Search". However: * it was automatically installed on my phone because it was the only present search app * it replaced the nearly identical Google Search app, which I explicitly disabled * At least on my phone, it only allows Google * it doesn't conform to the Firefox data clearing * it doesn't conform to the Firefox search engine preference As far as I can tell, "Firefox Search" means "Google search hooked into Firefox".
  - deleted 12y ago
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deleted 12y ago
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klez 12y ago
You should file a bug here[0], just to be sure it isn't a bug on Fennec. [0] https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi#h=dupes|Firefox+for+Android https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi#h=dupes|Firefox+f...
cleer 12y ago
This is not the Google Search app but rather a search app bundled with Firefox. You can tell: it uses Firefox design language and iconography and is called "Firefox Search"; the Google Search app looks nothing like this. Because of the open intent-based nature of Android, apps can hook into the swipe up gesture. If you also have the Google Search app installed, you should've gotten a dialog to select between the two, at least the first time you activated the swipe up. If you want to blame someone for this, blame Mozilla, but honestly, it's probably just an innocent mistake. This search app seems rather new (I just noticed it the other day, too) and probably doesn't get much usage, which I suspect is why it's not hooked into all the main app preferences yet. Jumping the gun to criticize Google here is... unfortunate. For comparison, here's what the Google Search app looks like: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.and...
- arcfor 12y ago
  I now understand that this app is branded as Firefox Search. However, I find it very suspicious that, at least for me, it only allows Google, even though my default search engine is DuckDuckGo. It also ignores Firefox's data clearing, as you acknowledged. I think it was automatically enabled on my phone because I explicitly disabled the Google app (my only other search app) in my App Settings. I updated the page to refer to it as "Firefox's Google Search app". A fair name, considering its search engine options.
  - Niten 12y ago
    It uses whatever search engine you have configured in Firefox. When I tried it a minute ago on my Nexus, this defaulted to Yahoo. This is unequivocally Mozilla code you're observing. Here's what adb logcat shows when that activity starts: I/ActivityManager(29188): START u0 {act=android.intent.action.ASSIST flg=0x13000000 cmp=org.mozilla.firefox/org.mozilla.search.SearchActivity (has extras)}
    - arcfor 12y ago
      Not for me. Mine only allows Google. Maybe because I'm using a custom default search engine? If so, it should just use my custom one, and should obviously give me a choice regardless.
callahad 12y ago
Looks like some confusion around the Firefox for Android search activity. I've filed a bug at https://bugzil.la/1143585 https://bugzil.la/1143585 to track this. Edit: For the time being, you can click the gear in the lower right of the search activity and choose "clear history" to remove those entries.
sidcool 12y ago
Oh. After reading comments, now I wish I had an unvote button to take my upvote back. I don't need a downvote button, just an unvote.
jayelbe 12y ago
Hi, Mozilla Support volunteer here. Thanks for spotting this! It is a known bug and has been fixed and rushed into beta testing (in Mozilla speak, this is called uplift). The fix is currently in Firefox beta and is scheduled to be released at the end of the month. There's a bug logged here: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1124884 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1124884 And a support article on how you can clear your search history here: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/clear-your-search-history-firefox-search https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/clear-your-search-histo... Hope this clears things up a little! Jayelbe

72 points by arcfor 12y ago

Shouldn't be of any surprise to anyone who's willingly using the whole damn operating system from a company rooted in tracking of everyone in sight. Edit -- The notability of the post hinges on whether the OP is running one of the stock Android versions or a custom build. Because if it's former, there could really be no expectations of privacy.

annoying_tech 12y ago
AOSP is clean of any Google-ish surveillance programs. Best example is Cyanogen. Of course, Google Apps are not.
- huhtenberg 12y ago
  Is OP running Cyanogen? That would've indeed been something.
  - arcfor 12y ago
    I will be within the next 24 hours, if Sunshine 3.0 gets released as promised. :-)

demetris 12y ago

That is not the Google Search app. It is the search interface you get when you use the Firefox Search homescreen widget. (This is on Android, BTW.)

magicalist 12y ago
Yep. If you have Firefox installed on your Android, just drag up from the bottom and use "Firefox Search".
arcfor 12y ago
I addressed this below, but I should probably repost it here. Here's my take on it: When choosing search apps, it's listed as "Firefox Search". However: * it was automatically installed on my phone because it was the only present search app * it replaced the nearly identical Google Search app, which I explicitly disabled * At least on my phone, it only allows Google * it doesn't conform to the Firefox data clearing * it doesn't conform to the Firefox search engine preference As far as I can tell, "Firefox Search" means "Google Search hooked into Firefox". To be fair, I noticed that app name difference only after posting.
- magicalist 12y ago
  > AFAIK, it only allows Google Mine defaults to Yahoo, which is exactly what you'd expect from the Firefox Search app. It's just a launcher intent that was registered when you installed Firefox. Here's the help article: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/search-firefox-instantly-android-home-screen https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/search-firefox-instantl... According to the bottom box on that page, your search history should have been cleared from the steps you took. Sounds like a bug. edit: you can prove this to yourself by going to Settings -> Apps -> Firefox, scrolling down to the "Launch By Default" section and clicking the "Clear Defaults" button. The next time you drag up from the bottom, your phone will ask you what you want to launch by default (assuming you still have other launchers, e.g. the Google App installed).
  - arcfor 12y ago
    I'm on a Verizon HTC M8 running Android 4.4.4. Mine only allows Google.
    - annoying_tech 12y ago
      Oneplus One 4.4.4, only Google.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- 12y ago

cr3ative 12y ago

Some deeper explanation would be nice here - how did the data end up there? Is the app hooking in to Firefox to pick this information up? Or are you just signed in to your Google account on both (Google search itself in Firefox, and Google Search via your Google sign-in on the Android?)

ithkuil 12y ago

Does it work the other way around? If I type something in any browser on android, will the history be available to other browsers ? (i.e. some kind of history API)

Niten 12y ago
No it does not, in fact it doesn't even work the way the author claimed. He or she mistook an activity bundled with the Firefox app for the Google Search app. In reality that search history was never persisted outside the Firefox app.
- arcfor 12y ago
  It only allows Google, despite my using another default search engine. The data is certainly persisting somewhere outside of Firefox proper, as the search app is siphoning data that can only be cleared from within.
  - Niten 12y ago
    > The data is certainly persisting somewhere outside of Firefox proper, as the search app is siphoning data that can only be cleared from within. That does not follow. They are the same application. For example, attempt to reproduce this after pressing the Clear Data and Clear Cache buttons on Firefox's Android app info screen.

asuffield 12y ago

Does anybody know what app this is? It appears to have a Firefox icon on it. My stock Nexus phone does not seem to have this app - swiping up from the home icon gives you Now.

arcfor 12y ago
When choosing search apps, it's listed as "Firefox Search". However: * it was automatically installed on my phone because it was the only present search app * it replaced the nearly identical Google Search app, which I explicitly disabled * At least on my phone, it only allows Google * it doesn't conform to the Firefox data clearing * it doesn't conform to the Firefox search engine preference As far as I can tell, "Firefox Search" means "Google search hooked into Firefox".
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

klez 12y ago

You should file a bug here[0], just to be sure it isn't a bug on Fennec. [0] https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi#h=dupes|Firefox+for+Android https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi#h=dupes|Firefox+f...

cleer 12y ago

This is not the Google Search app but rather a search app bundled with Firefox. You can tell: it uses Firefox design language and iconography and is called "Firefox Search"; the Google Search app looks nothing like this. Because of the open intent-based nature of Android, apps can hook into the swipe up gesture. If you also have the Google Search app installed, you should've gotten a dialog to select between the two, at least the first time you activated the swipe up. If you want to blame someone for this, blame Mozilla, but honestly, it's probably just an innocent mistake. This search app seems rather new (I just noticed it the other day, too) and probably doesn't get much usage, which I suspect is why it's not hooked into all the main app preferences yet. Jumping the gun to criticize Google here is... unfortunate. For comparison, here's what the Google Search app looks like: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.and...

arcfor 12y ago
I now understand that this app is branded as Firefox Search. However, I find it very suspicious that, at least for me, it only allows Google, even though my default search engine is DuckDuckGo. It also ignores Firefox's data clearing, as you acknowledged. I think it was automatically enabled on my phone because I explicitly disabled the Google app (my only other search app) in my App Settings. I updated the page to refer to it as "Firefox's Google Search app". A fair name, considering its search engine options.
- Niten 12y ago
  It uses whatever search engine you have configured in Firefox. When I tried it a minute ago on my Nexus, this defaulted to Yahoo. This is unequivocally Mozilla code you're observing. Here's what adb logcat shows when that activity starts: I/ActivityManager(29188): START u0 {act=android.intent.action.ASSIST flg=0x13000000 cmp=org.mozilla.firefox/org.mozilla.search.SearchActivity (has extras)}
  - arcfor 12y ago
    Not for me. Mine only allows Google. Maybe because I'm using a custom default search engine? If so, it should just use my custom one, and should obviously give me a choice regardless.

callahad 12y ago

Looks like some confusion around the Firefox for Android search activity. I've filed a bug at https://bugzil.la/1143585 https://bugzil.la/1143585 to track this. Edit: For the time being, you can click the gear in the lower right of the search activity and choose "clear history" to remove those entries.

sidcool 12y ago

Oh. After reading comments, now I wish I had an unvote button to take my upvote back. I don't need a downvote button, just an unvote.

jayelbe 12y ago

Hi, Mozilla Support volunteer here. Thanks for spotting this! It is a known bug and has been fixed and rushed into beta testing (in Mozilla speak, this is called uplift). The fix is currently in Firefox beta and is scheduled to be released at the end of the month. There's a bug logged here: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1124884 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1124884 And a support article on how you can clear your search history here: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/clear-your-search-history-firefox-search https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/clear-your-search-histo... Hope this clears things up a little! Jayelbe