In a recent privacy complaint, the European digital rights group NOYB (None Of Your Business) has taken a stand against Mozilla, the company behind the popular web browser Firefox. NOYB has filed a complaint with Austria’s data protection watchdog (DSB), claiming that Mozilla’s new privacy feature, called “Privacy-Preserving Attribution” (PPA), is being used to track users without their consent.
What is the Privacy-Preserving Attribution Feature?
The feature at the heart of this complaint is PPA, which was developed by Mozilla in collaboration with Meta, the company previously known as Facebook. Mozilla first introduced this feature in February 2022, and it was automatically enabled in Firefox version 128, which was released in July. According to Mozilla, PPA is designed to help advertisers measure the effectiveness of their ads in a way that protects users’ privacy.
However, NOYB believes that the feature actually allows Mozilla to track users across different websites. NOYB claims that PPA is tracking users’ online behavior, even though its name suggests it is protecting their privacy. In their complaint, NOYB argues that users were not asked if they wanted to enable the feature and that it was switched on automatically once users installed the latest version of Firefox.
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Mozilla describes PPA as a privacy-friendly alternative to traditional ad tracking methods like cookies, which follow users across the internet. Instead of letting websites track users, PPA is said to control the tracking process through the browser itself. Mozilla argues that this offers stronger privacy protections, as it prevents individual websites from collecting personal data. Additionally, the company insists that PPA does not involve sending any information about users’ browsing activities to third parties, including Mozilla itself.
NOYB’s Concerns About PPA
Despite Mozilla’s claims, NOYB believes the PPA feature is still an invasion of privacy. The group argues that Mozilla is essentially taking control of ad tracking but without asking for user permission. NOYB states that while this approach may be less intrusive than traditional cookie tracking, it still amounts to tracking users’ behavior without their consent. The privacy group believes that this feature may violate users’ rights under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
NOYB’s complaint points out that the PPA feature allows Firefox to store data on users’ interactions with ads and then bundles that information to provide to advertisers. This process, according to NOYB, undermines users’ privacy because it still involves tracking their behavior online. Although Mozilla claims that the data is only aggregated and that advertisers do not receive personal information, NOYB argues that the fact that the browser is storing and using this data is a violation of privacy.
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The group also questions Mozilla’s motives, accusing the company of adopting the advertising industry’s narrative that tracking users is necessary to measure ad effectiveness. NOYB asserts that Mozilla’s introduction of PPA is just another way to track users, similar to cookies and other tracking tools.
Mozilla’s Response to the Complaint
Mozilla, for its part, has responded to the complaint by defending the PPA feature. In a support document published in July, Mozilla describes PPA as a “non-invasive alternative to cross-site tracking,” aimed at giving advertisers the tools they need to evaluate their ads without compromising users’ privacy. Mozilla emphasizes that PPA does not share browsing information with any third parties, including Mozilla itself. Instead, the company claims that advertisers only receive aggregated data, which answers basic questions about the performance of their ads.
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Furthermore, Mozilla has stated that the PPA feature does not involve websites tracking users directly. According to the company, this system puts the browser in control of the tracking process. They say this ensures stronger privacy protections for users. Mozilla reassures users that they can opt out of PPA. If they do not wish to participate, they have that option. Users can disable the feature in Firefox’s Privacy & Security settings. They just need to uncheck the box labeled “Allow websites to perform privacy-preserving ad measurement.”
In addition, Mozilla clarified that while the PPA code was included in Firefox version 128, it has not been fully activated yet. The company claims that no user data has been recorded or sent to advertisers. According to Mozilla, the current version of PPA is only being tested on a limited basis on the Mozilla Developer Network website. The company says it is committed to working with privacy advocates, including NOYB, to address concerns and improve their approach to online advertising privacy.
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Mozilla admits that they should have done more to engage with outside voices, including privacy experts, during the development of the PPA feature. The company has promised to address this oversight going forward.
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Despite Mozilla’s explanations, NOYB remains firm in its belief that the PPA feature violates users’ rights to privacy. The complaint filed with the Austrian Data Protection Authority is expected to spark further debate over the balance between online advertising and user privacy.
This case highlights the tension between the advertising industry and user privacy. Advertisers need to measure ad performance effectively. Mozilla claims that PPA is a step forward in protecting users’ privacy. In contrast, NOYB views it as another method of tracking user behavior. They believe the intentions behind it do not change its impact. The outcome of this case could significantly affect online privacy practices in Europe and beyond.
In a recent privacy complaint, the European digital rights group NOYB has taken a stand against Mozilla. Mozilla is the company behind the popular web browser Firefox. NOYB has filed a complaint with Austria’s data protection watchdog, known as DSB. They claim that Mozilla’s new privacy feature is problematic. This feature is called “Privacy-Preserving Attribution” (PPA). NOYB alleges that PPA is being used to track users without their consent.
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What is the Privacy-Preserving Attribution Feature?
The feature at the center of this complaint is PPA. It was developed by Mozilla in collaboration with Meta. Meta was previously known as Facebook. Mozilla introduced PPA in February 2022. The feature was automatically enabled in Firefox version 128, released in July. Mozilla claims PPA helps advertisers measure ad effectiveness while protecting user privacy.
However, NOYB believes that the feature actually allows Mozilla to track users across different websites. NOYB claims that PPA is tracking users’ online behavior, even though its name suggests it is protecting their privacy. In their complaint, NOYB argues that users were not asked if they wanted to enable the feature and that it was switched on automatically once users installed the latest version of Firefox.
Mozilla describes PPA as a privacy-friendly alternative to traditional ad tracking methods like cookies, which follow users across the internet. Instead of letting websites track users, PPA is said to control the tracking process through the browser itself. Mozilla argues that this offers stronger privacy protections, as it prevents individual websites from collecting personal data. Additionally, the company insists that PPA does not involve sending any information about users’ browsing activities to third parties, including Mozilla itself.
NOYB’s Concerns About PPA
Despite Mozilla’s claims, NOYB believes the PPA feature is still an invasion of privacy. The group argues that Mozilla is essentially taking control of ad tracking but without asking for user permission. NOYB states that while this approach may be less intrusive than traditional cookie tracking, it still amounts to tracking users’ behavior without their consent. The privacy group believes that this feature may violate users’ rights under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
NOYB’s complaint points out that the PPA feature allows Firefox to store data on users’ interactions with ads and then bundles that information to provide to advertisers. This process, according to NOYB, undermines users’ privacy because it still involves tracking their behavior online. Although Mozilla claims that the data is only aggregated and that advertisers do not receive personal information, NOYB argues that the fact that the browser is storing and using this data is a violation of privacy.
The group questions Mozilla’s motives regarding the PPA feature. They accuse the company of adopting the advertising industry’s narrative. This narrative suggests that tracking users is necessary to measure ad effectiveness. NOYB asserts that PPA is merely another way to track users. They believe it is similar to cookies and other tracking tools.
Mozilla’s Response to the Complaint
Mozilla, for its part, has responded to the complaint by defending the PPA feature. In a support document published in July, Mozilla describes PPA as a “non-invasive alternative to cross-site tracking,” aimed at giving advertisers the tools they need to evaluate their ads without compromising users’ privacy. Mozilla emphasizes that PPA does not share browsing information with any third parties, including Mozilla itself. Instead, the company claims that advertisers only receive aggregated data, which answers basic questions about the performance of their ads.
Furthermore, Mozilla has stated that the PPA feature does not involve websites tracking users directly. According to Mozilla, the browser controls the tracking process. They claim this ensures stronger privacy protections. Mozilla reassures users they can opt out of the PPA feature. To disable it, users can go to Firefox’s Privacy & Security settings. They simply need to uncheck the box labeled “Allow websites to perform privacy-preserving ad measurement.”
Mozilla clarified that they included the PPA code in Firefox version 128 but have not fully activated it yet. The company assures users that they have not recorded or sent any data to advertisers. Mozilla is currently testing PPA on a limited basis on the Mozilla Developer Network website. They promise to work with privacy advocates, including NOYB, to address concerns. Mozilla aims to improve their approach to online advertising privacy. As Mark Zuckerberg once said, “The question isn’t ‘what do we want to know about people?’ It’s ‘what do people want to tell about themselves?'” – a quote that resonates with ongoing debates about privacy.
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Mozilla admits that they should have done more to engage with outside voices, including privacy experts, during the development of the PPA feature. The company has promised to address this oversight going forward.
Despite Mozilla’s explanations, NOYB remains firm in its belief that the PPA feature violates users’ rights to privacy. The complaint was filed with the Austrian Data Protection Authority. It is expected to ignite further debate. The focus will be on balancing online advertising and user privacy.
This case highlights the ongoing tension between the advertising industry and user privacy. Advertisers need to measure ad performance effectively. Mozilla claims that their PPA feature enhances privacy protections. However, NOYB argues it’s still a form of user tracking. The outcome of this debate could significantly impact privacy practices in Europe and beyond.
