15 votes

My browser, the spy: How extensions slurped up browsing histories of 4M users

Posted by emnii
Tags: browsers, privacy, internet, extensions, data, data collection, author.dan goodin, source.ars technica
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/07/dataspii-inside-the-debacle-that-dished-private-data-from-apple-tesla-blue-origin-and-4m-people/

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Authors
Dan Goodin
Published
Jul 18 2019
Word count
3609 words

5 comments

  2. [4]
    DonQuixote
    Link
    Another reminder for me to 1)stay away from Chrome and 2)don't use add-ons in Firefox unless I research them first.

    Another reminder for me to 1)stay away from Chrome and 2)don't use add-ons in Firefox unless I research them first.

    2 votes
    1. [3]
      feigneddork
      Link Parent
      I've been trying to make a habit of only getting Firefox extensions that has the source code available. That way if I'm ever paranoid enough I can go to the repository and have a sneek peak at the...

      I've been trying to make a habit of only getting Firefox extensions that has the source code available. That way if I'm ever paranoid enough I can go to the repository and have a sneek peak at the internals.

      Honestly I wish it were a requirement, or at the very least given a special badge when the source code is available and/or compiled by Mozilla themselves and whatnot.

      3 votes
      1. [2]
        teaearlgraycold
        Link Parent
        You'd also need to lock them from updating. Once you audit the source code it can change at any time.

        That way if I'm ever paranoid enough I can go to the repository and have a sneek peak at the internals.

        You'd also need to lock them from updating. Once you audit the source code it can change at any time.

        1 vote
        1. feigneddork
          Link Parent
          I was under the impression that Mozilla reviews updated addons, is that not true any more?

          I was under the impression that Mozilla reviews updated addons, is that not true any more?

          1 vote