[xvector]

> Mozilla is very up-front about exactly what telemetry data they're collecting and what it's used for,

I consider myself relatively technically inclined. When I started using Firefox, I absolutely did not know about

- Normandy as an RCE engine to install arbitrary extensions and customize random settings

- Google Location Services as the location backend

- Which about:config settings I need to change for a reasonable expectation of privacy

[orbital-decay]

Didn't you already trust Mozilla to execute their code on your machine when you installed the browser, in the first place? And to do it remotely with auto-updates.

[jedberg]

There is a big difference between them being able to activate a connection to my machine at their whim and execute code, vs me downloading their software or an update at a time of my choosing, especially since if I am very security conscience I can wait until an updated has been audited or tested.

With a remote code execution engine, someone could hack into their backend and then start running malicious code on thousands or millions of machines. If they compromise a software update, at least there is a chance it can be caught before it gets to me.

[Kalium]

There's a config-flag to turn it off. You could even deploy that enterprise-wide.

That said, every auto-update system is essentially an RCE system. For highly exposed and security-sensitive applications like browsers, the auto-update is a net win in many deployment scenarios.

[scarface74]

Isn’t it kind of ironic that you mention a user flag to turn off telemetry that is on by default on a post about “defaults matter”?

[Kalium]

Yes.

Telemetry and auto-updates are important enough that having them on by default isn't wildly unreasonable.

[scarface74]

Auto updates yes for security. But why would telemetry be important to the end user - especially for a “privacy focused browser”?

[roca]

If you're security-conscious then you'll install updates immediately, before you get compromised by whatever attack it might be fixing.

In reality no-one outside Mozilla is auditing updates (other than black-hats reverse-engineering security fixes to catch the people who don't update immediately). I don't think the situation for other browser vendors is any different.