Mozilla launches study into Facebook data collection

Mozilla, the company behind the Firefox browser, is partnering with the nonprofit newsroom The Markup to launch a study that will analyze how Facebook tracks data for targeted ads and to tailor content recommendations for users. 

The study will use tools provided by Rally, a privacy-focused data sharing platform created by Mozilla in June, Mozilla announced Monday. 

Firefox users can opt into the “Facebook Pixel Hunt” study through Rally. The study will collect the data sent to Facebook pixels as users browse, the URLs of the web pages users browse, the time users spend browsing pages and the presence of Facebook login cookies in users’ browsers. 

Mozilla said the study aims to uncover questions including what kind of data Facebook pixels collect, which sites share the data, what the data can reveal about people and what ways Facebook tracks people. 

The Markup will use the data collected in the study for investigative journalism around the type of information Facebook collects about users. 

The study will run until July 13. 

Mozilla said that the study will not share granulated measurements about participants with third parties. Additionally, after the analysis is completed, Mozilla said it will delete raw data. 

The Markup will also only use aggregated and anonymized data in its reporting.