Mozilla to simplify Firefox extension installs with new data privacy system

Oh, thank heaven. Mozilla is finally doing something about the horribly messy (and sometimes confusing) data consent experience in Firefox extensions. If you’ve ever installed a Firefox add-on and been hit with some clunky, homemade data collection prompt, you’re not alone. Now, Mozilla is stepping in to cure the insanity. You see, the organization will be adding a standardized data consent system into the installation process.

This new system, expected to arrive later this year, will thankfully eliminate the need for developers to write their own data consent screens. Instead, extension creators will just declare what data the add-on collects in the manifest file. And just like that, Firefox will handle the rest.

During installation, users will see a consistent, built-in prompt that shows what data the extension needs and what’s optional. This gives users the power to opt out where possible.

And no, it is not only about making things easier for developers. This move should hopefully give users more confidence too. After all, they’ll no longer face a random hodgepodge of privacy dialogs. Everything will look and feel the same, no matter which extension they’re installing -- consistency for the win!

Heck, Mozilla is even promising to display the data collection details on the extension’s listing page. This will give users a heads-up before they click “Add to Firefox.” Very cool.

Additionally, this should also mean faster extension reviews for developers, since Mozilla won’t need to manually inspect custom code for compliance. So yeah, developers get less busywork, and users get a cleaner, more trustworthy install flow. Win win.