Disable Firefox Experiments v60+

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Mozilla Firefox Quantum and ESR editions contain experiments for further mozilla development that are switched on by default. If you wish not to partake in these experiments due to privacy concerns or whatever, here are a few tweaks to opt out and prevent the browser reporting back to Mozilla.

type about:config in your FF browser address bar and edit the following:

experiments.enabled set to FALSE
experiments.manifest.uri set to 0
experiments.supported set to FALSE
experiments.activeExperiment set to FALSE
network.allow-experiments set to FALSE *

* (Disables Mozilla permission to opt browser into experimental tests)

These may work in various forks of firefox but have not been tested.
These are primarily for Firefox Quantum and Firefox ESR v60+

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Lars220, Elly, SueW, Sinclair

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Under Firefox 65.0.1 for Windows 7 I did not find the following settings:

experiments.enabled
experiments.manifest.uri
experiments.supported

I did find:

experiments.activeExperiment set to false
network.allow-experiments set to true

I have now set network.allow-experiments to false. Thank you!

A search of the word experiment while having about:config open reveals for me a total of 12 entries in Firefox 65.0.1.

W10&11 x64 Pro&Home

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Lars220, Microfix

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Sinclair wrote:

A search of the word experiment while having about:config open reveals for me a total of 12 entries in Firefox 65.0.1.

Interesting, I have 12 entries in FF Quantum 65.0.1 on W8.1 x64 and 15 entries in FF ESR 60.5.1 on W8.1 x64 on another device. I Wonder if it’s to do with in-place updates?

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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? says:

i was remiss in not mentioning your brilliant article AKB3000003 Microfix,

i am looking at “experiment,” in FF 65.0 (64bit) on Ubuntu 16.04LTS and i see 5 entries (after much customization):

1). app.update.LastUpdateTime.expirements-update-timer (integer)

2). browser.cache.frequency_experiment integer (-1)

3). experiments.activeExperiment (false)

4). extensions.ui.experiment.hidden (true)

5). network.allow-experiments (false)

thanks!

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Microfix

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Interesting: under Firefox ESR 52.6.0, I have all of the settings:

experiments.enabled [set to true]
experiments.manifest.uri [set to a string: https://tetemetry-experiment.cdn.mozilla.net/manifest/vl/firefox/%VERSION%/%CHANNEL% ]
experiments.supported [set to true]
experiments.activeExperiment [user set to false]
network.allow-experiments [set to true]

And now to make the changes! Thank you, @Microfix!

Win 7 SP1 Home Premium 64-bit; Office 2010; Group B (SaS); Former 'Tech Weenie'

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Lars220, Microfix

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? says:

more here if interested:

https://www.askvg.com/tip-disable-telemetry-and-data-collection-in-mozilla-firefox-quantum/

 

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This is about Disabling Experiments. But check out @microfix ‘s thorough security in Firefox information in AKB3000003.

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Lars220, Microfix

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Thank you for this information on Firefox experiments, should I be concerned because I do not show: “experiments.manifest.uri” ?

P.S. nice that Woody was able to reach into the belly of the beast and fix ‘Select File’ ! 🙂

Edit: P.P.S. = meant to also ask about that first line bordered in red, can anyone explain what app.update.lastUpdateTime.experiments-update-timer might be about. Thank you.

Amazing Truths Revealed: Link to Simply Magnificent AskWoody Knowledge Bases

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Lars220 wrote:

Thank you for this information on Firefox experiments, should I be concerned because I do not show: “experiments.manifest.uri” ?
…
can anyone explain what app.update.lastUpdateTime.experiments-update-timer might be about. Thank you.

I don’t think either are to be concerned about, as long as the main strings in the OP are set to FALSE, then the subsequent reliant commands shouldn’t be invoked.

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Lars220

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Interesting.

In Firefox 65.01 Windows 10 Professional 64bit I don’t have anything at all under ‘experiments’ in about:config.

It goes from “editor.use_div_for_default_newlines” to “extensions.autoDisableScopes”.

Ah, I’ve just checked my Firefox Options and I have all the boxes unticked under Privacy & Security > Firefox Data Collection and Use.

That would explain it.

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Lars220

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I looked at those options and disabled it. However, I also found a setting, known as app.normandy.startupExperiment.Prefs.dom.push.alwaysConnect 
I looked up at that, it does seem to be part of Firefox but otherwise not much info on it. Is it legit or did I picked something nasty? Btw I found results relate to Mozilla via search “app.normandy.startup.”

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Microfix, Lars220

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Would “experiments” be the same as “studies”?

Firefox has a built-in option to opt in or opt out of studies.

The default seems to be to opt in, unless the data collected for the study being undertaken does not fall into the default data collection policy.  If it does not fall into the default data collection policy, then you will be prompted if you wish to participate.

Mozilla has an explanation of studies here:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/shield?as=u&utm_source=inproduct

I have attached screenshots of the place in the options screen where you can opt in or opt out, and a screenshot showing what studies I have been enrolled in.

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Microfix, Lars220

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Thanks Microfix and other participants here,  Carl D thanks, I checked Options, Privacy & Security, Firefox Data Collection and Use, and all 4 boxes are unchecked. Thanks brian1248 I checked ‘about:studies’ and I have no studies. Thanks Sinclair I checked my Win 10 computer using the search term ‘experiment’ without the ‘s’ at the end, and got a bigger list. Should I be concerned about these unusual and marked entries? Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks.

I really do not like that ‘hidden’ experiment, any one else seeing that ?

Edit: PS, Microfix, I miss your ‘Crystal Ball’ avatar, what happened ? 🙂

Amazing Truths Revealed: Link to Simply Magnificent AskWoody Knowledge Bases

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Microfix, Sinclair

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Firefox experiment app normandy does not seem to have much information available. From what I was able to find there are “Opt – out” instructions in the link to follow, but what concerns me is that I do not remember “Opting – In” ! Does anyone else get bothered by sneaky experiments? Who is following who, Mozilla first than Microsoft, or maybe other way around. Would you like some red whine or white whine to accompany your complaint?

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/rate-your-firefox-experience-heartbeat

Above link has instructions to ‘Opt out’ – but can not find any dates, wondering when ??

I am putting everything I can to ‘false’ / Disabled. Semi-rant finished, thanks.

Amazing Truths Revealed: Link to Simply Magnificent AskWoody Knowledge Bases

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Microfix

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? says;

here is a page on “Firefox/Shield/Heartbeat,” that explains app.normandy.enable “Every day a random subset of users are offered a rating widget,” and toggling to false opts out of the study:

https://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox/Shield/Heartbeat

 

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Lars220

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? says:

i love to disable everything i can find that i think i don’t need so, here is another one if it is pleasing:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/push-notifications-firefox?as=u&utm_source=inproduct

i had to install itunes for my daughter’s iphone (60+) songs that don’t fit in the “free,” cloud and it installed the apple push version on windows which i also disabled\deleted:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Push_Notification_Service

cheers!

p.s. the mother of all Firefox security settings courtesy of Mr. Martin Brinkmann:

https://www.ghacks.net/2017/12/29/automation-comes-to-the-ghacks-user-js-configuration-for-firefox/

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Microfix, Lars220

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