A unique identifier called “dltoken” may track a user’s installation and first browser run. According to reports, if you download the Firefox browser from the official Mozilla website, it will generate a unique code that will enable the company to track how many downloads or installs it receives each day.
The usage of the download token/unique identifier is confirmed by a bug report on Mozilla’s official bug tracking page. They said:
“This data will allow us to correlate telemetry IDs with download tokens and Google Analytics IDs. This will allow us to track which installs result from which downloads to determine the answers to questions like, “Why do we see so many installs per day, but not that many downloads per day?”
Based on Mozilla’s description, the identifier is used to analyze downloading and installation trends among other things.
The feature is powered by Telemetry in Firefox and it applies to all Firefox channels.
Here’s the way on how to identify if your Firefox browser is using DLTOKEN. Users can test the hashes of two Firefox installer downloads that have identical model, language and structure. Each hash will show a different string that can be revealed using hex editor.
Firefox users who prefer to download the browser without the unique identifier may do so in the following two ways:
- Download the Firefox installer from Mozilla’s HTTPS repository (formerly the FTP repository).
- Download Firefox from third-party download sites that host the installer, e.g., from Softonic.
Most users will be unaware of this function since many of them are uninterested in it. We can’t eliminate the possibility that they, too, may utilize this new identifier to track users’ internet searches if they use Firefox.
If such is the case, security agencies and governments will be delighted with the feature’s ability to gather and monitor data.
