Facebook Container: Mozilla’s New Add -On In Firefox to block Facebook’s online tracking

Post the Cambridge Analytica controversy, Facebook is under deep scrutiny. While many companies and business houses have decided to quit Facebook, other companies are evolving their service in order to provide users a better experience. Mozilla has worked hard and has developed a way by which you can bypass the prying eyes of Facebook. It has launched a new add on that has made it harder for Facebook to track online activities of users. When you install and enable this add on, Your browser confines your Facebook session into an isolated tab. The add on is called Facebook Container. It isolates your Facebook activities from the rest of your online session.

facebook container

If you are still not aware of the Cambridge Analytica issue, then here is a recap Cambridge Analytica is one company that extracted data from 50 million Facebook users just before the US Presidential Election in order to spread pro Trump materials. However, this data breach was done with the help of a fake prediction app. The most alarming news came from a whistle blower who said Facebook is involved in the conspiracy. Since then, Facebook has been answerable to the public and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg is having a tough time. Facebook is working hard on updating its privacy policies.

Now coming to the add-on, the Mozilla Firefox add on is designed in such a way that it will delete your Facebook cookies and log you out of the site the first time you use it. The next time you sign in to your FB account, the session will be loaded in a blue-colored container and it will be separated from your other web activities. Once you click on an external link or visit non-Facebook sites, Firefox will redirect you to a tab outside of the container. So, here the important thing is to remember is that external share option gives Facebook or Firefox the permission to navigate to a non Facebook website and there is no guarantee that Firefox will block cookies from that website. Facebook Container adds on is exclusively applicable to Facebook and not any other site.

It is still recommended that users read about data privacy, tracking and educate themselves to prevent any unwanted event.

A blogger with a zeal for learning technology. Enchanted to connect with wonderful people like you.