back to article Mozilla wants EU to slow down its ePrivacy Directive process

Mozilla wants the EU to tap the brake on a privacy process slated to deliver a new ePrivacy Directive by May 2018, calling the timeline “overly aggressive”. While saying it supports the main features of the proposal currently in front of the European Commission, in this post by legal advisor Sherrie Quinn, Mozilla hopes Europe …

  1. Christian Berger

    Mozilla could already do a lot for privacy

    For example they could prohibit cross domain javascript, so a website wouldn't load malevolent Javascript from other places by accident. They could evaluate every new W3C proposal and refuse everyone where the privacy implications are higher than any potential use (see DRM, WebASM, etc)

    Instead Mozilla acts like any other company. Why? Because it has grown to a size where it's just like any other company. Their income comes from search engines as well as donations. Once that income breaks away, the whole project will fold.

    What we'd need would be a radically more simple web replacement. Something where you can implement a fully functioning "browser" in less than a week, and new features are hard to add so it'll stay small. Perhaps something like VNC could be an answer.

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Re: Mozilla could already do a lot for privacy

      If they prohibit cross-domain JavaScript the whole jquery angular Web 2.0 bollocks would disappear up its own fundament overnight given that web designers are seemingly incapable of copying files across to their own domain and instead find it preferable to include them from elsewhere meaning they are at the mercy of third-parties deleting a left pad function or something.

      And advertising and tracking would get killed overnight.

      On second thoughts perhaps they should do it.

      1. Mike Green

        Re: Mozilla could already do a lot for privacy

        As a user of NoScript, I'm fed up of shopping list length domains I have to allow just to get a video working on a website for exactly this reason. It's all very well using Noscript to try and keep my browser secure, but when you need to enable 3 dozen domains just to get a page to display properly, it kind of loses the point.

      2. Aitor 1

        Re: Mozilla could already do a lot for privacy

        Well of course, why host the things yourself when you can dog out your (not paying with money) users for free bandwidth? I also do it!

        The problem with allowing this is you are allowing code injection. It should not work, crosssite is a very very bad idea.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Mozilla could already do a lot for privacy

      Just like they have been very careful to hide the "accept third party cookies" under "History settings", and make it appearing only if you select "Use custom settings for history"? Just like they complained about setting "Do not track" on by default?

      As long as most of the Internet is controlled by people selling ads, any regulation about privacy and data usage will encounter stiff resistance. But that's a clear signal the regulations are going in the right direction.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Mozilla could already do a lot for privacy

      >Web assembly has privacy concerns

      Clueless

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Megaphone

    "a danger to the future of the web as we know it” - yes, we know it and don't like it.

    It's exactly because we believe the web "as we know it" is a danger to privacy, that we need to change it so advertiser (or better, those who sell user data and ads space to gullible advertiser) won't be able to do whatever they like with user data gathered without permission. And more so whoever thinks to gather and use that data at will.

    I understand Mozilla fears it revenues streams may dry. It's a problem with "free" software, someone somewhere has to pay for its development.

    1. PTW

      Re: "a danger to the future of the web as we know it” - yes, we know it and don't like it.

      Free software, like Opera of old? I've said it before, I paid for Opera when the free version only had the very unobtrusive little ad panel.

      And I ditched FF when they made it difficult to disable WebRTC thus exposing your real IP address.

  3. Adam 52 Silver badge

    The new e-privacy regulations caused our lawyers some concerns too. They seem to have been rushed out to coincide with GDPR, our lawyers pointed out self-inconsistency in the regulations and they felt implementation should be delayed to resolve the glaring mistakes.

    Quite surprised that there hasn't been an out-law article on the subject.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    OK I know this might seem trivial but please can you go back and edit the article to remove all references to the new ePrivacy Directive - it is not a Directive it is a Regulation and there is a huge difference between the two.

    Also it is pretty clear that the proposed deadline will not be met - the EP haven't even finished their draft yet and plenary will not be until October at the earliest - it is very unlikely the Council will be ready for Trialogue before March 2018 which simply will not leave enough time for the Regulation to be introduced by May 2018.

    Anonymous because I am working very closely with certain parties on the Regulation and don't want to give away anything to the IAB.

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