No one is safe on the web. And when it comes to social media, most notably Facebook, users' data can be stolen without the users' knowledge.
Following Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal, Mozilla launched a Firefox browser add-on for users that want to use Facebook, but hope to have more control on how much of their data Facebook can access. Using the extension called 'Facebook Container', it isolates users' Facebook indentities from the rest of the web.
What this means, Facebook won't be able to profile users because it won't be able to gather any information regarding their activities outside of Facebook to send targeted advertising.
Given by how much power Facebook has on the web, which uses whatever it has under its sleeves to collect users data, the extension aims to at least block one of the social media's capability in doing what it usually does best.
"Containers are a feature built into the Firefox platform that separate user cookies and site data into different cookie jars," explained Jeff Griffiths, Product Lead for Firefox. “For Facebook Container specifically, this means that a user should only be able to log in in the Facebook Container. Facebook cookies and site data that identify the user are only available to that Container, and only Facebook can be open in that Container."
When users install the extension, it will first delete Facebook cookies stored in Firefox, which then logs the users' out of the social media. The next time the users log in into Facebook, the extension will open Facebook inside a blue-colored "container" tab.
Facebook tracks its users, far beyond the app and other services. Comparable to Google, but Facebook is doing this in a rather unique ways, and this is because it's a social media and the largest one their is.
The extension won't alter any Facebook experience as users can still use the social media as they would normally.
However, if users click on a link that would take them out of Facebook, the extension forces Firefox to load the URL inside the container. Similarly, if users click on any Facebook Share buttons outside of Facebook, the extension will load those in the Facebook container.
The extension will also prevent users from logging in to third-party apps and websites with their Facebook credentials. It will also prevent any Facebook comments, Like buttons or any embedded Facebook-related features on websites around the web from working.
"This prevents Facebook from associating information about your activity on websites outside of Facebook to your Facebook identity," said The Firefox Frontier blog. "So it may look different than what you are used to seeing."
Facebook is known for its wide range of abilities in gathering users' data and activities all over the web. With these, the social media can profile each and every users to target them with the most compelling and targeted ads it has in its inventory. With the company making headlines after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Mozilla is capitalizing on consumers' concerns to share its messages and tools that are focused on data privacy.
The Mozilla Foundation has also announced it plans to suspend all advertising activities on Facebook.