I have all Firefox Data Collection and Use options disabled.

Anyone know what all of these services are doing? I assume they’re for auto updates, account sync, and maybe pushing Pocket ads and/or sponsored pins?

Likely, I’ll block most, but curious if anyone knew.

  • RustyShackleford@literature.cafe
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    7 months ago

    Looked up 2 of them, seems like they are settings and files, stored on Googles servers, but encrypted by the time it reaches Google.

    Short of someone with a quantum computer, I doubt anyone will decrypt them, along with the billions of other user files out there. Suffice to say, don’t store/link anything sensitive if you’re worried.

    Blocking might just break features, but be wary to see what’s broken based on what’s disabled and see if it can just be manually disabled in settings first.

    • glowie@infosec.pubOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      7 months ago

      I did see a reddit thread briefly talking about this, but wasn’t sure how accurate it was. Thanks!

      • RustyShackleford@literature.cafe
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        7 months ago

        No problem, I’m not exactly a fan of the cloud myself, but it’s being forced on us. It feels a bit like a fad, but I still store everything on secondary storage.

  • stoy@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    7 months ago

    I just googled a few URLs here, and found the following:

    mozgcp.net is the Mozilla Google Cloud Platform, looking at the links it connects to, it looks as if it is accessing settings for Google, then finding some certificates, accessing pictures for the Pocket service and doing some product detection, why, I have no idea.

    moz.works is Mozilla’s content delivery network, porbably nothing to worry about.

    mozaws.net is probably a service running on AWS, the autopush service seems to deal with the Push API: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Push_API

    mozilla.com looks quite benign at first glance, but googling firefox contile tells you that that service is used to push ads on the new tabs page: https://mozilla-services.github.io/contile/

    • Hal-5700X@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      7 months ago

      mozgcp.net is the Mozilla Google Cloud Platform, looking at the links it connects to, it looks as if it is accessing settings for Google, then finding some certificates, accessing pictures for the Pocket service and doing some product detection, why, I have no idea.

      Also Google Safe Browsing?

    • ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      7 months ago

      Detectportal is for captive portal detection, so that firefox knows if you need to log in on a captive portal before using the public wifi network you are connected to.

      If that’s a stationary computer, that’s probably not needed, it can be disabled in about:config so it’s easier on the firewall

  • hiyidef646@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    7 months ago

    Just use arkenfox user.js or librewolf. Firefox is a lost cause at this point. Mozilla doesn’t care about its users and keeps adding unnecessarily stuff. They blantantly lie about privacy when it takes hundreds of about:config preferences to make it remotely good in terms of privacy.