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Mozilla installs Scheduled Telemetry Task on Windows with Firefox 75


Karlston

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Mozilla installs Scheduled Telemetry Task on Windows with Firefox 75

Observant Firefox users on Windows who have updated the web browser to Firefox 75 may have noticed that the upgrade brought along with it a new scheduled tasks. The scheduled task is also added if Firefox 75 is installed on a Windows device.

 

The task's name is Firefox Default Browser Agent and it is set to run once per day. Mozilla published a blog post on the official blog of the organization that provides information on the task and why it has been created.

 

firefox-default-browser-agent.png

 

According to Mozilla, the task has been created to help the organization "understand changes in default browser settings". At its core, it is a Telemetry task that collects information and sends the data to Mozilla.

 

Here are the details:

  • The Task is only created if Telemetry is enabled. If Telemetry is set to off (in the most recently used Firefox profile), it is not created and thus no data is sent. The same is true for Enterprise telemetry policies if they are configured. Update: Some users report that the task is created while Telemetry was set to off on their machine.
  • Mozilla collects information "related to the system's current and previous default browser setting, as w2ell as the operating system locale and version".
  • Mozilla notes that the data cannot be "associated with regular profile based telemetry data".
  • The data is sent to Mozilla every 24 hours using the scheduled task.

Mozilla added the file default-browser-agent.exe to the Firefox installation folder on Windows which defaults to C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\.

 

Firefox users have the following options if they don't want the data sent to Mozilla:

  • Firefox users who opted-out of Telemetry are good, they don't need to make any change as the new Telemetry data is not sent to Mozilla; this applies to users who opted-out of Telemetry in Firefox or used Enterprise policies to do so.
  • Firefox users who have Telemetry enabled can either opt-out of Telemetry or deal with the task/executable that is responsible.

Disable the Firefox Default Browser Agent task

firefox-browser agent task disabled

 

Here is how you disable the task:

  1. Open Start on the Windows machine and type Task Scheduler.
  2. Open the Task Scheduler and go to Task Scheduler Library > Mozilla.
  3. There you should find listed the Firefox Default Browser Agent task.
  4. Right-click on the task and select Disable.
  5. Note: Nightly users may see the Firefox Nightly Default Browser Agent task there as well and may disable it.

The task won't be executed anymore once it is disabled.

Closing Words

The new Telemetry task is only introduced on Windows and runs only if Telemetry is enabled (which it is by default). Mozilla is transparent about the introduction and while that is good, I'd preferred if the company would have informed users about it in the browser after the upgrade to Firefox 75 or installation of the browser and before the task is executed the first time.

 

 

Source: Mozilla installs Scheduled Telemetry Task on Windows with Firefox 75 (gHacks - Martin Brinkmann)

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To get rid of Mozilla-Microsoft Telemetry add these lines in your C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts file :

#  telemetry mozilla
127.0.0.1 box.com
127.0.0.1 firefox.com
127.0.0.1 mozilla.com
127.0.0.1 mozilla.net
127.0.0.1 mozilla.org
127.0.0.1 mozillademos.org
127.0.0.1 mozillazine.org
127.0.0.1 firebase.google.com
127.0.0.1 www.adjust.com
127.0.0.1 www.leanplum.com

# end for mozilla

 

# start for microsoft
127.0.0.1 vortex.data.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 vortex-win.data.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
127.0.0.1 oca.telemetry.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 oca.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
127.0.0.1 sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
127.0.0.1 watson.telemetry.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 watson.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
127.0.0.1 redir.metaservices.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 choice.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 choice.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
127.0.0.1 df.telemetry.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 reports.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 services.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 sqm.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 telemetry.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 watson.ppe.telemetry.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 telemetry.appex.bing.net
127.0.0.1 telemetry.urs.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 telemetry.appex.bing.net:443
127.0.0.1 settings-sandbox.data.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 vortex-sandbox.data.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 survey.watson.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 watson.live.com
127.0.0.1 watson.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 statsfe2.ws.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 corpext.msitadfs.glbdns2.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 compatexchange.cloudapp.net
127.0.0.1 cs1.wpc.v0cdn.net
127.0.0.1 a-0001.a-msedge.net
127.0.0.1 statsfe2.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net
127.0.0.1 diagnostics.support.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 corp.sts.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 statsfe1.ws.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 pre.footprintpredict.com
127.0.0.1 i1.services.social.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 i1.services.social.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
127.0.0.1 bingads.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 www.bingads.microsoft.com
## END Windows 10 privacy settings ##

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28 minutes ago, tonyblair said:

To get rid of Mozilla-Microsoft Telemetry add these lines in your C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts file

 

Looks like a scattergun approach to a problem needing just a scalpel. :)

 

Those will do more than stop Firefox telemetry, probably also prevent any Firefox and add-on updates.

 

And not sure what Microsoft sites have to do with Firefox/Mozilla telemetry.

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Hi Karlston,

1- They will not prevent Firefox and add-on updates (checked by myself)

2- I added Microsoft for those who are annoyed by Telemetry and wants really to stop it. (it is a bonus)

I agree with you about the calibre of the gun :tank:

 

ps: it is not easy to get the listing of those servers. and as you see they are a lot of them

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Firefox Default Browser Agent task doesn't seem to exist on a PC with Windows 10 LTSC.

I have just checked on PC running the same version of Firefox, but couldn't locate it.

I will try to check on another running Windows 10 Pro.

Nevertheless, thank you for then Tip on this

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1 hour ago, cosy said:

I have just checked on PC running the same version of Firefox, but couldn't locate it.

 

20 minutes ago, Nastrahl said:

I can't find it either.

 

According to the article, the task is there only if Telemetry is enabled.

 

Do you have Telemetry enabled?

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17 minutes ago, Karlston said:

Do you have Telemetry enabled?

 

I always disable this during and after the set up, maybe that is why it is not there.

BUT, it is good to know this in advance.

My PCs as an insider are always set up differently as opposed to those who are not inside the system 😀

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6 hours ago, Karlston said:

 

 

According to the article, the task is there only if Telemetry is enabled.

 

Do you have Telemetry enabled?

 

Running Win 10 Pro 64b 1909.

Telemetry in Firefox Options was disabled by myself after installing v75, as I looked at all Options after each new update.

After reading this thread, I just checked Task Scheduled and Firefox Default Browser Agent was enabled ans has run yesterday .... just apply right-click and disabled.

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Here an update to the Mozilla listing in hosts file :

please add this line too

127.0.0.1 incoming.telemetry.mozilla.org

 

I disassembled the Agent , here is the call to the server inside the program

402226711_mozillatelemetryserver2.thumb.jpg.f87ce777bbe75331d1ae5608b7c34657.jpg

 

 

739981787_mozillatelemetryserver.thumb.jpg.1aed45ae72dbc68b28838ba59989a802.jpg

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A better way would be to have a firewall that resolves hostnames and accept wildcards to block *telemetry*

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(This may be a stupid question, but why would you want to immediately disable Firefox telemetry as soon as it is integrated? Apart from the fact that it's actually not very clear, Mozilla has always defended the protection of privacy with Firefox...)
In fact, I've just seen their privacy policy and it collects data such as IP address, operating system, number of tabs and number of web pages visited, number and types of add-ons installed, etc. I'm going to disable it too.

On the one hand, I'm not too worried about this telemetry, compared to what Google or Microsoft are currently doing with all our data. <_<

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