Mozilla, the non-profit organization behind the Firefox web browser, has been the subject of a privacy complaint by the European Union (EU) privacy rights group, noyb. The complaint alleges that Mozilla has violated the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by tracking Firefox users by default without their explicit permission.
Overview of the Complaint
noyb, which is known for advocating for stronger privacy rights, has filed a complaint against Mozilla. The issue centers around a new feature called Privacy Preserving Attribution (PPA) that Mozilla has recently deployed in Firefox. According to noyb, this feature turns Firefox into a tracking tool for websites, contrary to the browser’s reputation for user privacy.
Background on PPA
Mozilla describes PPA as a technology designed to protect user privacy by attributing website visits without tracking individual users. However, noyb argues that this is a misdirection and that the feature actually allows Firefox to track user behavior on websites. Mozilla implemented this feature by default after users installed a recent software update, without seeking their explicit consent.
Comparison with Google’s Privacy Sandbox
The complaint draws parallels between Mozilla’s PPA and Google’s Privacy Sandbox, a multi-year effort to end support for tracking cookies in Google’s Chrome browser. While Google’s efforts have faced regulatory hurdles and have been slowed down, noyb suggests that Mozilla’s move may have been inspired by these developments. According to noyb, Mozilla’s PPA still interferes with user rights under the GDPR and does not replace cookies, merely adding another method for websites to target ads.
Legal Implications
If EU privacy regulators agree with noyb’s complaint, Mozilla could face significant consequences. The GDPR allows for fines of up to 4% of global revenue for non-compliance. Felix Mikolasch, a data protection lawyer at noyb, commented in a statement: Mozilla has just bought into the narrative that the advertising industry has a right to track users by turning Firefox into an ad measurement tool. While Mozilla may have had good intentions, it is very unlikely that ‘privacy preserving attribution’ will replace cookies and other tracking tools. It is just a new, additional means of tracking users.
Conclusion
This complaint highlights the ongoing tension between privacy advocates and tech companies as they navigate the evolving landscape of online tracking and ad targeting. While Mozilla’s intentions may have been to enhance user privacy, the implementation of PPA appears to have fallen short of this goal, raising concerns among privacy rights groups and potentially exposing Mozilla to significant regulatory scrutiny.
For more information, you can refer to the press release from noyb here and the complaint document here.
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