Firefox 8 To Stop Unauthorized Add-ons In Their Tracks

Posted 08/12/2011 at 10:29am | by Brad Chacos

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If's there's one thing we hate, it's Brussels sprouts. If there's two things we hate, it's Brussels sprouts and sneaky programs that automatically install add-ons into our Internet browsers. Turns out we're not the only ones. Those pesky unapproved add-ons have been a thorn in the side of Mozilla, who shoulders the blame when the invaders cause crashes and browser lagging. When Firefox 8 rolls around, unauthorized add-ons will be a thing of the past: the browser won't allow installations without the express permission of users.

"If Firefox starts and finds that another program has installed an add-on, Firefox will disable the add-on until the user has explicitly opted in to the addition," Mozilla add-on manager Justin Scott wrote on the organization's Add-ons blog. "Users that want the functionality provided by a third-party-installed add-on can easily allow the installation, while users who don’t can cancel or ignore the prompt."

Spiffy, huh? The usefulness doesn't stop there: the first time you boot up Firefox 8, the browser will prompt you with a list of all of your add-ons, and helpfully inform you which of them were installed without your permission. The ones you've installed in-browser will be enabled automatically, while the rogue add-ons will be disabled unless you specifically tell Firefox to enable them.

Expect Firefox 8 to hit the webs on November 8, keeping in line with Mozilla's new rapid-release schedule for the browser.