Quote:Browser extensions extend the functionality of a web browser or the displayed websites and apps. They can be very useful, for instance to block advertisement, prevent tracking, enable bulk downloading, change something on a website, or help improve your browsing in other ways.

However, the popularity has also led to the rise of extensions that do not have the best of users at heart or at all. From malicious extensions to browser add-ons that collect and sell user data.

Mozilla announced an upcoming change to the Firefox extension ecosystem that has far-reaching consequences. Extensions "will be required to specify if they collect or transmit personal data" starting November 3, 2025, writes Mozilla in a new blog post on the official add-ons blog.

The important details:

• The change applies to new extensions only at first, not new versions of existing extensions.
  
• All extensions will have to disclose the information in the first half of 2026.
  
• Extensions that do not collect or transmit anything still have to specify this.
  
• The information is displayed to users during installation of an extension.
  

When an extension collects data, Firefox displays the data that it collects as part of the installation prompt. Mozilla shared an image of an extension that collected the location information according to the data the developer provided.

Continue Reading...