- Mozilla Firefox is one of the friendliest browsers for security-conscious users
- Still, the incorporation of Sponsored Suggestions, a series of announcements based on commercial agreements with its partners, has not caused much thanks to those who use this program.
- We analyze what are the characteristics that define this advertising, how to activate or deactivate it according to your needs, and why the people of Mozilla consider them to be a less intrusive solution
While it is true that it does not experience the same levels of popularity that it once did, it is also true that Firefox continues to be an interesting alternative to Chromium-based browsers. Having said that, your users may not be entirely comfortable with one of its latest features. We talk about Sponsored Suggestions. So how to disable ads in Mozilla Firefox?
How does Firefox Sponsored Suggestions work?
Well, the fact is that, for those who are not familiar with this function, we must say that it is one that tends to teach us products or services that could attract our attention, nothing different from other software. The problem, really, is that a person who uses Firefox as their personal browser can be exposed to about 4,000 ads per day, too high a figure. Almost unbearable for most.
Of course, from Mozilla they assure that they always show us things that may attract us, and it is true in some of the ads. But others simply correspond to paid advertising, which has little to do with our interest. Apparently without putting our security or privacy at risk, it is equally annoying.
In turn, these suggestions from Firefox “trusted partners” are displayed below the usual search suggestions. They explain that they are based on the user’s browser history, bookmarks, and open tabs, and that represent a “less intrusive” solution than search ads.
Finally, this Firefox suggestions function does not require new data (collected or stored) to make new recommendations to its users, and according to the firm’s support page, it only has partners who comply with the privacy standards they have determined for the peace of mind of the users.
Disable Suggestions and Sponsored Ads in Firefox
Just as you can enjoy the best Mozilla Firefox add-ons, you also have the ability to get rid of these tips and sponsored ads, which can ruin your experience.
- Start the Firefox browser as you normally do
- Go to the browser Settings
- Open Privacy and security
- Uncheck the Contextual Suggestions box and Include occasional sponsored suggestions
As you can see, it’s about an absolutely simple tutorial, which will not take you more than a couple of minutes, and after which you will no longer have to support those suggestions and sponsored ads in Firefox.
Not all users have access to this feature
One thing to keep in mind is that not all users will see ad suggestions in the Firefox address bar. This is because certain users have not opted for this possibility..
They will not see the contextual suggestions option in Firefox’s privacy and security settings. Likewise, you only have to enter Privacy & Security in Firefox Settings and check it.
And how to activate the function if it is available but disabled?
Now that you know how to disable ads in Mozilla Firefox, you will probably also be interested in finding out what are the steps to follow to activate the function if it is available but disabled. Are these:
- Start the Firefox browser as you normally do
- Go to the browser Settings
- There enter Search
- Check the Provide search suggestions box in Firefox search settings
- Also, check the Show search suggestions in address bar results box
Conclusions.
Firefox is an alternative browser to the more traditional ones and prioritizes user privacy, collecting and storing less data. Therefore, you shouldn’t have a problem if you keep trusting them.
However, if you do not trust 100%, or you simply think that this solution is less intrusive than others, it continues to be intrusive, our recommendation is that you proceed to disable the ads in Mozilla Firefox.
