Bonum Certa Men Certa

Mozilla Continues to Spam Many People With Privacy-Violating E-mails, Urging Sites to Pretend That Mozilla Values Privacy

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Nov 24, 2023,
updated Nov 24, 2023

Spam, surveillance and insecurity disguised as "privacy" - that's Mozilla in a nutshell

Fox And Crows Art: Modern vector art based on a vintage cartoon illustration of a fox sitting at the base of a tree looking up at a murder for crows holding a letter addressed to Mr Fox

MORE than two weeks ago Mozilla spammed me (not for the first time) through a Public Relations (PR) firm. I didn't responds to the spam and instead pointed out the sheer hypocrisy of Mozilla.

To make matters worse, despite me being unresponsive, this PR firm of Mozilla (that's where the money goes apparently, not programmers!) persisted and persisted. Yes, the very same firm send me some more spam, and again it was privacy-violating. I am reproducing it below:

Re: Embargo (Nov 15): Mozilla unveils *Privacy Not Included warning labels for holiday gifts

Hi Roy,

Checking in before the weekend - can I send over the embargoed press release?

I can also put you in touch with Jen Caltrider for an interview. She's open on Monday after 2 and all day Tuesday.

Embargo lifts November 15!

Thanks so much,

Helena

The above was sent two days after the first message from Helena Dea Bala <helena@pkpr.com>.

Then came this (despite me ignoring the spam):

Embargo (Nov 15): Mozilla unveils *Privacy Not Included warning labels for holiday gifts

Hi Roy,

I want to make sure you've had a chance to consider this: consumer privacy watchdog Mozilla will release its annual *Privacy Not Included guide for holiday shoppers on Wednesday, November 15th. The 2023 edition reviews the privacy and security features of over 150 popular gifts, like Microsoft XBox, Garmin Fitness Trackers, Amazon Ring, iRobot vacuums, Tile Trackers, Bose headphones, and the Tamagotchi Uni, and slaps warning labels on the creepiest products.

One highlight of this year?s research: children?s connected toys and apps ? which collect and repurpose hoards of data ? are among the worst in class. Amazon?s Alexa, for example, has kept and used children?s voice recordings for years, and Embodied Inc?s Black Mirror-esque Moxie Robot records and shares its ?conversations? with kids.

You can find past coverage of Mozilla?s Privacy Not Included research here.

For a story: - Let me know if you?d like to see the press release under embargo until November 15 at 4 am ET

- I can coordinate an interview with Jen Caltrider, *Privacy Not Included lead researcher.

Please let me know if you?d like to receive the embargoed press materials.

Thanks!

Helena

As before, the E-mail is an HTML file containing spying elements (HotLinking) and the links contain tracking elements (e.g. domain omitted/t1/96/6tgvty0yw45a7m4bt5wq2g158/0/6f5da6f911e2d2af010f47694c36e43a8e68059740c8865772b78a5b5d04f845). Mozilla is a rogue company that employs/contracts other rogue companies, investing in surveillance (e.g. of critics) instead of software development. It outsources development to Microsoft (worse than before) and even outsources the spam.

Don't trust Mozilla on anything. It's not what it wants to be seen as.

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