[Bug 280344] www/firefox: Disable Privacy-Preserving Attribution by default

From: <bugzilla-noreply_at_freebsd.org>
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2024 07:22:10 UTC
https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=280344

            Bug ID: 280344
           Summary: www/firefox: Disable Privacy-Preserving Attribution by
                    default
           Product: Ports & Packages
           Version: Latest
          Hardware: Any
                OS: Any
            Status: New
          Severity: Affects Many People
          Priority: ---
         Component: Individual Port(s)
          Assignee: gecko@FreeBSD.org
          Reporter: ehaupt@FreeBSD.org
          Assignee: gecko@FreeBSD.org
             Flags: maintainer-feedback?(gecko@FreeBSD.org)

With the release of Firefox 128, Mozilla introduced a new feature called
Privacy-Preserving Ad Measurement (PPA), enabled by default. While designed to
measure ad performance without compromising user privacy, concerns have been
raised about its potential implications and the manner of its rollout.

I propose disabling the PPA feature by default, aligning with actions taken by
Debian and recommendations from privacy advocates. By doing so, we aim to
prioritize user privacy and control, ensuring users are not automatically opted
into features that may have privacy implications.

Justification:

1. User Consent: The feature is enabled by default without explicit user
consent, which has raised concerns within the privacy community​ (Privacy
Guides)​​ (Privacy Guides)​.

2. Transparency Issues: Mozilla's rollout of PPA lacked sufficient
communication and transparency, reminiscent of past issues where user trust was
compromised​ (Mozilla Connect)​​ (all InfoSec News)​.

3. Precedent: Debian has already disabled this feature by default, setting a
precedent for other distributions to follow suit in prioritizing user privacy​
(Privacy Guides)​.

See also:
https://michael.kjorling.se/blog/2024/disabling-privacy-preserving-ad-measurement-in-firefox-128/
https://codeberg.org/librewolf/issues/issues/1936

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