Deactivate Location-Aware Browsing in Firefox 3.5

How-Tp Geek ^

[Gomez]

If the new Location-Aware Browsing (a.k.a. Geolocation) feature in Firefox 3.5 makes you worried about your privacy, you can turn the feature off with a simple about:config tweak.

A Quick Look at Location-Aware Browsing

For those who are curious about this new feature, here is a quick look at what happens when you encounter a website that triggers the function in Firefox.  You can also visit a website that has been set up as a Geolocation demo (link at the bottom of the article).

Note: The Location-Aware Browsing feature uses Google Location Services to determine your location with the following: your computer’s IP address, information about nearby wireless access points, and a random client identifier (that is assigned by Google and expires every 2 weeks).

When you encounter a website that asks for your location, you will see this bar pop up at the top of your browsing window.

[Gomez]

For OS X users: clicky
This one is a bit louder about this feature.

[Gomez]

ping

[a fool in paradise]

Note: The Location-Aware Browsing feature uses Google Location Services to determine your location with the following: your computer’s IP address, information about nearby wireless access points, and a random client identifier (that is assigned by Google and expires every 2 weeks).

Orwell didn't warn us about Big Google.

[lormand]

You mean I will not be able to see all those hot looking chicks that happen to be in the SAME city I live in?

[meyer]

At great risk of starting a browser war - does Internet Explorer have this feature, and if so, how is it defeated or disabled?

[Blogger]

later

[4Speed]

ping

[library user]

does Internet Explorer have this feature, and if so, how is it defeated or disabled?

You answer:

[ShadowAce]

Go to Tools --> Start Private Browsing
-or-
hit Ctrl-Shift-P

[PubliusMM]

Ping

[library user]

you = your

[JoeProBono]

[green pastures]

Re the OS X article — “You can disable this easily - just comment the pref out.”

Okay, how does one comment the pref out?

[Vinnie]

I used the instructions in the article, seems to have worked.
Firefox 3.5 on a Mac.

[green pastures]

Which article? The one at How-To-Geek (main posting) or the one in #1 at the “clicky” link referencing OSX? I was looking at the one at the clicky link.

I don’t have 3.5 yet, but updates are inevitable. I don’t know how to comment out things though.

Eventually I’ll have to do this on a PC for my sister, also.

[mojitojoe]

I don’t think my FF has it. I’ve never seen it and when I tried to do the fix nothing like that came up for me to fix. Google isn’t allowed on my computer and I check my register weekly to make sure nothing got in. If it does, I delete it.

[AFPhys]

Thanks for posting this.

[jude24]

Bearing in mind - the geolocation service doesn't provide YOUR location per se, but the location of your ISP. In my case, that's a good 10 miles away.

A whole lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

[Gomez]

What version are you using? It’s new in version 3.5.

[Gomez]

A whole lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

"information about nearby wireless access points"

Do you know what your neighbors are telling Google?