[ffpip]

Clicking on the link shown on the website assigns a unique ID to your version of Firefox downloaded from the playstore. Every user gets a unique ID. This ID is sent back to 'Adjust' when you install the app.

So much for unfcking the internet. Hypocrisy everywhere.

[ignoramous]

Anonymous tracking is fine with them, I'd presume, and totally seems to be in line with Mozilla's stance, too, one would think. It isn't like their flagship product, Firefox, is free of all telemetry.

[ffpip]

Unique Id is hardly anonymous.

Anonymous tracking is already part of the URL. The ?utm_source=unfck part of the URL helps Mozilla know how many people installed Firefox from that link.

[NikolaeVarius]

What data is being leaked that can be used to break anonymity?

[ffpip]

You click the link. You get an ID assigned to you. You install the app. It calls back home with the ID and a list of specific apps on your Android.

This tracking is happens continuously. You have to go to the settings and toggle the data collection off.

In case it wasn't clear, I am not complaining. Analytics has its place, but the Unique ID's are a bit much, especially when they want to unfk the internet.

[mariusor]

> It calls back home with the ID and a list of specific apps on your Android.

Is this just speculation, or is this visible in the code?

[ffpip]

It's visible by just checking DNS logs.

https://brave.com/ios-browser-first-run/

Scroll down to Firefox.

[clairity]

> "Anonymous tracking is fine with [Mozilla]..."

that seems to be a reasonable and consistent stance, but it's also reasonable for users to be skeptical of their anonymity claims as well as the implicit claim of being undeanonymizeable (what a mouthful) or having strict safeguards on potentially fingerprintable info.

i think branding around privacy (and secondarily security) is a good strategy for them (apple is effective with it), but mozilla really has to nail the messaging, not only for the public but for more-discerning technologists as well. so far, the compromising stance they've taken doesn't seem to be hitting the right chords all around.

my take is that they're messaging is too broad and diluted right now. for example, diversity and inclusion are great, but not for the mozila/firefox brand at its current (smaller) size. it just distracts from a core brand that should be laser-focused on privacy and security to set it in stark contrast with google & chrome (and to a lesser extent, apple & safari). that creates real market segmentation and shifts user choice-making to dimensions that favor mozilla/firefox. other (potential) brand values just don't do that for them.

and, they don't have the resources and reach (and reserve brand equity) of companies like google & apple to effectively deploy broad brand ideals. instead, they really need to focus narrowly on just privacy and security if they want to survive their mindshare/marketshare drought.

[x3ro]

Can you expand on this? On desktop I don't see anything being stored anywhere on this site, but I'm likely missing something.

[ffpip]

Did you click on the play store link?

It is not linked directly to the play store. it is run through a tracking company first, which then assigns a unique ID to your installation for knowing what caused users to install firefox. The ID is present in the URL.

Click the link once more to get another ID assigned to you.

Then when you open the app, The ID is sent back to the company along with a list of specific apps installed on your Android.

[x3ro]

Oh sorry, I misread your original comment. Now I understand what's happening. Thanks for elaborating :)

[mc32]

So it’s like the intel CPU serial number all over again, except maybe more granular (specific), but at least mutable.