[Jamieee]

From the tweet's Author it's disabled via:

about:config

browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.showSponsored

browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.showSponsoredTopSites

there is also:

services.sync.prefs.sync.browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.showSponsored

services.sync.prefs.sync.browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.showSponsoredTopSites

[SamuelAdams]

Yes, this works. For now. The bigger problem is that this will probably go away at some point and the "sponsored" items will have no way (or a very difficult way) of being removed.

This has happened before with the browser toolbar having an about:config option to disable enlarging behavior, now you have to do some hacky CSS thing.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1274579

[JadeNB]

Now you don't just have to anticipate having options removed; that's the explicit development plan. (Quote is about a different preference, but I think it makes the style of development clear.)

> We intend to add a keyboard shortcut for this[1]. In the meantime you can revert to the old printing interface by setting the `print.tab_modal.enabled` preference to `false` via the page `about:config`. In a few releases time, after we've finished integrating user feedback and polishing rough edges, we intend to remove that preference though.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26275683

[woodrowbarlow]

they plan to remove a hidden about:config preference for the system print dialog and replace it with a _dedicated keyboard shortcut_. if you think that's evidence that they want to take away your control, i beg to differ.

[JadeNB]

No, to be honest, I misread and thought that the final sentence meant that they were taking all configurability, both preference and keyboard shortcut, away.

[cpeterso]

Those preferences are also available in the Firefox UI so they are accessible to non-power users:

1. Click the "Customize your New Tab page" gear icon on the New Tab page.

2. Uncheck the "Sponsored Top Sites" and "Sponsored Stories" checkboxes.

[eznzt]

I use Firefox ESR just so I don't have to do this every couple months.