Data Consent Experience: Firefox Tests New "To-Be-Approved" Experience for Data-Collecting Extensions

By Netvora Tech News

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Mozilla is testing a new "Data Consent Experience" for Firefox extensions that collect user data. Currently, extensions that collect or transmit user data must display a "data consent window" that clearly explains what data is being collected and informs the user about the consequences of accepting or declining. This requirement has been a source of overhead for developers and can lead to a confusing experience for end-users, who often see different data consent windows for each extension.

Overcoming the Current Challenges

In an effort to simplify the process, Mozilla has announced a new "Data Consent Experience" for extensions. This new experience aims to make it easier for developers to ensure their extensions comply with Firefox's policy, while also providing a more consistent experience for users. Reviewers will also benefit from this change, as they will no longer have to spend time checking code compliance.

How the New Experience Works

The new "Data Consent Experience" is now available for extension developers to test in Firefox Nightly 139, an early test version of the browser. Developers can specify which data they want to collect or transmit in the manifest.json file of their extension. This information will then be passed to the browser and displayed to the user when they first install the extension. Users can then choose to allow or deny data collection.

Standardizing Information

To standardize information for both developers and end-users, Mozilla has categorized data into two types: personal data and technical and interaction data. Examples of personal data include location information, search queries, authentication data, and health information. Technical data, on the other hand, includes crash reports, extension usage, and settings data.

Calling on Developers to Test the New Experience

Mozilla is now calling on extension developers to test the new "Data Consent Experience." When the final version of Firefox is released, it is still unknown.