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Mozilla Launches Facebook Container Add-on To Isolate Your Web Browsing Activity From Facebook (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the let-the-engineering-war-begin dept.

Paul Sawers, writing for VentureBeat: On Tuesday, Mozilla announced a new tool it said will help keep Facebook from tracking your browsing across the web. The Facebook Container add-on for Firefox promises to make it "much harder" for Facebook to track you when you're not on its site. Mozilla has been working on the technology for several years already, accelerating its development in response to what it called a "growing demand for tools that help manage privacy and security," according to a statement issued by Mozilla today.

Most people are probably aware that data they directly give to Facebook -- such as "liking" a Page or updating their relationship status -- may be sold to advertisers. But fewer people know that Facebook can also track their activities on other websites that have integrated with aspects of Facebook's tracking technology, such as the pervasive "Like" button. And it's in this scenario that Mozilla is now hoping to play the good guy.

5 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. Great! Now add a Google container and we're set by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Comment.

  2. Web is broken. by LoRdTAW · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When a website can track you, it's no longer a website. I call that malware. Why did we let this happen again?

    1. Re:Web is broken. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I completely disagree. It's running on their computer, serving their interests. That's the essence of not-malware.

      If your browser, though, is serving them, then it is malware.

  3. OR... by ceoyoyo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Instead of picking on Facebook specifically, you could have a setting that refuses to load any off-site data, unless it's on a whitelist. Then make it the default. Problem solved.

  4. Re:This Facebook news is not new. by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's not only Facebook. But you should start somewhere. Al Capone also wasn't the only crook in Chicago, but it's sensible to start with the biggest criminal.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.