> "without selling out their user's privacy"
This is the key. I think sending any unsolicited traffic to 3rd party websites counts as violating my privacy. Pocket goes far beyond that.
Pocket Recommendations are personalized based on your browsing behavior in Firefox. It doesn't matter that Mozilla and Pocket don't see your browsing history directly. While the choice of which links to push at you are made client side if Pocket knows which pages are suggested to you [either as they are pushed to your browser or after you've clicked them] then they can take away from that information about why you were targeted for those sites.
Sure enough, Pocket collects stats on which links show up in your browser and whether or not you click on them.
"Sponsored stories" often link to DoubleClick or Bitly who redirect you to the suggested site so those companies are also collecting your data because of Pocket. Handing data to DoubleClick is not protecting user's privacy.
Even if you opt out of data collection in Firefox's preferences Pocket and Mozilla will continue to serve you personalized sites and will continue to collect data on you and your browsing history.
I don't mind that pocket exists, but it shouldn't be enabled by default, and it shouldn't take going into about:config to disable.
Firefox should be applauded for taking steps to try to make money off their user's personal information without selling it outright, but at the end of the day they are still trying to make money off their user's personal information.
They do have to compete with Google, but they can best do that by providing a better experience for users and by protecting their privacy.
I've been a long time user of firefox because it's still the best browser when it comes to privacy and control, but it takes an increasing number of default setting changes and about:config edits to get it to stop leaking my data to 3rd parties. It's already to the point where I can't just recommend it to others without explaining there are a ton of settings they should immediately disable or change to protect themselves.
Chrome: Google recently released Chrome 66, a new version of the popular desktop web browser, which blocks by default autoplay video that contains sound. To stop video that does not contain sound, you can use a third-party extension. [See the Extensions section below.]
Firefox: Mozilla’s recently revamped Firefox web browser offers a straightforward way to prevent unwanted videos from playing automatically as you hop from site to site. It's straightforward, but not something you'd stumble across by searching through pull-down menus.
First, you’ll need to access the browser’s advanced options by typing “about:config” [without the quotation marks] in the address bar and hitting Return. Next, search in the window for the “media.autoplay.enabled” setting and double-click it. This will disable most HTML5-based videos from playing on their own when you load a page.
This method won’t typically block videos in the older Adobe Flash format, but we’ll explain how to do so below.
Safari: If you use Apple’s Safari browser as your daily driver, you may be wondering to yourself, “What’s autoplay video?” That’s because in the newest versions of Safari [starting with version 11, released in 2017], most autoplaying videos are blocked. Score one for Apple.
If you don’t have the latest version of Safari—say, if you’re using a work-provided laptop that has an older version of macOS—it’s a bit trickier to pull off.
You’ll need to open the application called Terminal [which is found in your Utilities folder], then paste in the following text [without the quotation marks]: “defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeInternalDebugMenu 1”.
This scary-looking string merely allows you to access an additional settings menu inside Safari called Debug. The next time you go to a website that has autoplaying video, you have to select the new Debug menu option at the top of the screen and then scroll down to Media Flags and Disable Inline Video. Goodbye, autoplaying video!
As I’ve written before, autoplaying video is one of the most obnoxious things about the modern web. It’s insensitive to users’ needs [they might be somewhere quiet, or listening to their own audio/video], for one. For another, data caps on mobile plans make this practice particularly bad, especially with limited ways to block such on mobile devices. Fortunately, blocking autoplay videos has become a common feature built into browsers, though to varying degrees of effectiveness. It also tends to be more of a feature of desktop browsers versus their mobile counterparts, despite the aforementioned data cap problem.
Below are some ways of blocking autoplay videos. In addition, the use of ad blocker extensions like uBlock Origin and privacy extensions like Privacy Badger might also help.
Blocking autoplay videos in desktop browsers
Chrome
The extension AutoplayStopper seems the best means on Google’s browser, as Chrome doesn’t include autoplay blocking by default. Considering Google relies on advertising revenue for most of its income, as well as owning the most popular video site online [YouTube], it’s not surprising.
Firefox
Firefox has autoplay blocking built into the browser by default. For a specific site you’re visiting, go to the URL bar at the top of the browser and click on the icons at the left; you’ll be able to choose settings for that site.
Default browser autoplay settings can also be accessed under Settings > Privacy & Security > Permissions, under “Autoplay.”
Safari
Like Firefox, Safari also has autoplay block settings built in. For individual sites, go to Safari > Settings for This Website; under “Auto-Play,” you’ll have the choice between “allow,” “never,” and “stop media with sound.”
As a default browser-wide setting for all sites, go to Safari > Preferences > Websites > Auto-Play; at the bottom right, “When visiting other websites” allows you to choose from the same settings as above [never, always, and only media with sound].
Microsoft Edge
Edge is now based on Chromium, the open source basis for Google Chrome and most non-Firefox browsers by this point. Thus, it can also use the same AutoplayStopper plugin mentioned above for Chrome.
Alternatively, Edge also can block videos natively, but for some reason it’s buried under the “flags” settings rather than a user-friendly feature. [Otherwise the default settings only offer “allow” and “limit.”]
To activate Edge’s native block feature, enter in the URL bar the following:
Under “Show block option in autoplay settings,” select “enabled.” Then restart Edge.
Under Settings > Cookies and Site Permissions > Media Autoplay > Control if audio and video automatically play on sites, the dropdown menu offers “block” along with “allow” and “limit.”
Unfortunately, this setting is an all or nothing one as far as I can find. There’s no way to individually turn this off for a single site, such as YouTube. Thus, using the aforementioned Chrome plugin might be a better way to go for Edge.
Blocking autoplay videos in mobile browsers
Unfortunately, mobile browsers tend to be more locked down than desktop ones, per the nature of mobile devices [and their app stores, etc.]. Overall, iOS offers fewer autoplay blocking features versus Android.
Chrome
There’s pretty much no way to block autoplay on the mobile versions of Chrome for Android or iOS. Your best bet’s to switch to another browser.
Safari
Turning off autoplay in the mobile version of Safari isn’t as straightforward. The best option involves turning off video previews for all Apple-tied apps, including Safari: on your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Accessibility > Motions, then deactivate “Auto-Play Video Previews.” I tried this on my iPad; it seems to work on CNN’s website.
Firefox
On Android, turning off autoplay works as it does on the desktop versions. Go to Settings > Site Permissions > Autoplay and adjust the settings accordingly.
There doesn’t seem to be similar settings available on the iOS version as far as I can tell. Unfortunately, the iOS version of Firefox also doesn’t support third-party plugins, so that option’s not available.
Edge
Edge for iOS doesn’t offer an autoplay block feature. It does on Android, however: go to Settings > Site permissions > Media > Autoplay, and deactivate it.
Conclusion
Overall, for blocking autoplay videos on the desktop, I’d go with an extension if using Chrome or Edge, and the built-in features if using Firefox or Safari. On Android, the options are either switch to Firefox or Edge or put up with it in Chrome; on iOS, follow the Safari instructions given.
Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay