Firefox 3.5 and Fennec aboard Google's location service

Updated May 1, 2009, at 8:40 a.m. PT with more specifics about how the Google Location Service works, and again at 11:40 a.m. with additional background information.

When Google Labs released its experimental browser toolbar with its My Location finder for Internet Explorer last week, we wondered why it wasn't available for Firefox. Now we know. Instead of being added on through a toolbar or extension, it was intended to be built in. So, on Thursday, Mozilla turned on a new feature for Firefox 3.5 beta 4, and for Fennec, the code name for the mobile version of Firefox: Google's geolocation service. Like the toolbar with My Location, Mozilla's opt-in engine will use your position to return more focused search results across the Web.

(Credit: Mozilla Labs)

The functionality has been available prior to this release, in the form of Geode, an experimental Mozilla Labs add-on that implemented the W3C Geolocation Specification. While the support was there for third-party add-ons to use geolocation in Firefox 3.1, 3.5 and Fennec, Mozilla hadn't offered it directly until now.

Here's how it works. When you browse to a page that requests to know your location, you accept or decline. Declining does nothing, but accepting delivers your Wi-Fi access point or IP address details to Google Location Services, using an encrypted SSL connection (https). Google can then return an approximation of your location to the browser, which returns it to the requesting page. Using the classic example, a search for "movie theaters" or the weather will bring up local listings without you having to type in your city or ZIP code.

Privacy is a key concern here. With many computer users going out of their way to erase their Internet tracks, handing them over for the sake of saving a few keystrokes may seem foolhardy. To that end, Mozilla has posted in an FAQ section that "Firefox does not track or remember your location between sessions, never sends your location to any third party, and never sends it to any of Mozilla's servers."

Would you use this new geolocation feature, or does giving away your whereabouts give you the willies? Discuss in the comments.

[HamInTeeTown]

Use the sucker if it works as advertised. If Big Brother wants to know where you are, they will find you.... with or without help from Mozilla or Google!

[norcalrivercat]

I agree, sending your zip code to google to get some movie times is not going to be the way your privacy gets compromised or how the government finds you from your escape from prison 10 years ago...

[B1gC72]

i don't know. not too keen on the idea of sending that kind of info to the net just to help with a couple searches. i think i'll stick to entering my zip code, which is only 6 more keystrokes including the space.

[gharp]

I've played with the location services a bit, and it's about as accurate as taking an IP address, running it through GeoIP and maybe adding a bit of traceroute data... since websites already have your IP address, how is this any scarier than what could already be done?

From what I see, it's just streamlining the use of existing data to add a bit of convenience - not exactly a massive invasion of privacy.

[VampireWolf5453]

excellent point, if someone's trying to find you frm online they already have all they need in your ip address, because if needed, they can use your ip and through your isp, getyour home address. so even without this feature, just by using the internet, you already give anyone who wants to, all the info they need is your ip, and if they are truly determined, they will get it.

[Williame789]

At least we don't need a toolbar to get the Geolocation

[transamman4u]

Being narrowed down to a zip code is really is not that big of deal. Really just going to narrow it down to your Internet Provider. If your that worried about being found you got other problems. Don't they already do this for advertising?

[01Phyxius]

So long as it works as advertised, and only does it if you let it, there is no reason why not. Besides, websites can do that anyway, so why not?