Comment by eamsen | Hacker News Reader

Comment by eamsen | Hacker News Reader

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> For example, any new tech introduced that can be used for browser fingerprinting and user tracking (e.g. canvas, webgl, webrtc, etc) is enabled to every single site by default, just like chrome.

GeckoView exposes a wide range of privacy (including anti-tracking and anti-fingerprinting) features in a (hopefully) comprehensive API, see https://mozilla.github.io/geckoview/javadoc/mozilla-central/..., and continues expanding its privacy settings.

> Some you can install extensions (you can't on this and on mozilla focus)...

GeckoView also exposes a WebExtension API, see https://mozilla.github.io/geckoview/javadoc/mozilla-central/..., and continues to expand extension support.

> ...some you can fiddle with user-UNfriendly settings in about:config...

You seem to have answered one of your own questions here.

I also have the impression that you might have not commented on the GeckoView library, but on some range of Mozilla products (you named Focus).

> GeckoView exposes a wide range of privacy

that's is a fallacy and you know it!

There are ZERO settings exposed to the end user.

Those settings are exposed to the App embedding geckoviewer. In other words, the privacy settings are in the hands of the actor who benefit from Advertising by tracking the user!

> GeckoView also exposes a WebExtension API

again to the app.

> There are ZERO settings exposed to the end user.

This thread is discussing GeckoView, which exposes extensive privacy settings.

There is a (hopefully growing) amount of apps based on GeckoView, which will make use and/or expose different variations of GeckoView settings to the user, depending on the purpose and target audience of the app.

You might disagree, but, for example, I consider the level of detail in privacy settings provided by Fenix (Nightly) to be a good balance between user control and comprehensibility.

> > GeckoView also exposes a WebExtension API > again to the app.

Again, taking Fenix (Nightly) as an example, the GeckoView WebExtension API is used to provide a growing selection of add-ons, many of which are aimed at the privacy-conscious user, including uBlock Origin, HTTPS Everywhere, NoScript and Privacy Badger.

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