USA /
Vienna-based digital rights advocacy group NOYB filed a complaint on Wednesday, September 25, against Mozilla to the Austrian data protection authority, accusing the maker of the Firefox browser of tracking users’ behavior on websites without their consent.
NOYB (None Of Your Business), founded by privacy activist Max Schremsclaimed that Mozilla enabled a feature called privacy-preserving attribution (PPA) that turns the browser into a tracking tool for websites without directly informing its users.
Mozilla defends its practice
“Mozilla’s limited PPA testing is part of our effort to improve invasive advertising practices by offering technical alternatives,” a spokesperson told Reuters.
“These techniques prevent any party, including Mozilla, from identifying individuals or their browsing activity.”
However, NOYB noted that while this is less invasive than unlimited tracking, it still interferes with users’ rights under U.S. privacy laws. European Union, adding that Firefox has the feature enabled by default.
Mozilla under pressure to change its policy
NOYB wants Mozilla to inform users about its data processing activities, switch to a prior consent system, and delete all illegally processed data.
“It’s a shame that an organization like Mozilla believes that users are too stupid to say yes or no,” said Felix Mikolasch, a lawyer at NOYB.
NOYB has already filed similar lawsuits against large companies. technology companiessome of which have resulted in large fines.
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