Mozilla has developed an extension for Firefox that blocks any tracking and data collection by Facebook. Here's how to install it
The "Cambridge Analytyca" scandal is leading companies to take some countermeasures to protect users' personal data. One of the most active is Mozilla, a company that develops the Firefox browser and other Web applications. After announcing that it doesn't want to advertise its products on the social network anymore, Mozilla has developed Facebook Container, an extension for Firefox that blocks any attempt by Facebook to track users' online habits.
The news that appeared on newspapers after the "Cambridge Analytica" case convinced Mozilla to develop the extension: protecting your personal data seems to have become almost impossible, especially if you are a Facebook member. The social network uses programs to track users' online habits, so that the advertisements shown within the platform reflect people's desires. It is no coincidence that after visiting an e-commerce site, the Facebook account begins to pop up advertisements related to the product we would like to buy. Facebook Container blocks the work of these trackers and does not allow Facebook to collect information about users' habits.
How Facebook Container works
The extension is available in the Firefox online store and can be downloaded for free. Once the plugin is installed on your browser, all Facebook cookies will be deleted and you will have to log in to the social platform again. At this point, every time we open Facebook, the extension will isolate the social network from the rest of the websites we are visiting and the social platform tab will turn blue. If we open a link on Facebook, the page will be isolated from the social network and no information about our habits will be collected. If, on the contrary, we try to share an article we have read online on our Facebook account, a page will be opened that will have the protection of Facebook Container. Users will not notice any change in the daily use of the platform, but they will be able to browse with the security that no data about their habits will be collected by Facebook. Advertisements will continue to be shown, but they will not be based on searches made by users.
Installing Facebook Container is a good alternative to the idea of deleting your Facebook account. Many users, in fact, after the Cambridge Analytica scandal have decided to unsubscribe from the social platform, believing that they are saving their personal data. But in reality you only lose the ability to take advantage of the many services that Facebook provides to users.