Firefox 3.5 -- Did You Already Set geo.enabled To False?

Firefox 3.5 has a nifty new feature called „Location-Aware Browsing”. They describe it like this: Firefox 3.5 can tell websites where you’re located so you can find info that’s more relevant and more useful..

What they actually do is – after prompting the user – sending the following information to sites like Google Maps, et.al:
  • list of available WiFi access points, including
    • SSID
    • MAC address (a unique identifier assigned to most network adapters or network interface cards (NICs) by the manufacturer for identification)
    • signal strength
  • an access token (similar to a 2 week cookie)
  • the user’s IP address
Now, I do not want this per default. Unfortunately, Firefox provides no toggle to switch in his privacy settings. Sou you have to use the „about:” URL like this:
  • In the Address Bar, type about:config (Note: Firefox will warn you about voiding a warranty. just ignore it and click the button.)
  • Type geo.enabled in the filter bar.
  • Change the Value to false by double-clicking.
If you’ve given Firefox permission to always give your location to a site and later change your mind, you can easily revoke that permission. Here’s how:
  • Navigate to the site to which you’ve given permission
  • Go to the Tools menu, then select Page Info
  • Select the Permissions tab
  • Change the setting for Share Location

Could someone please write an extension to do all this in a more user-friendly way?

More reading:
Location-Aware Browsing – Frequently Asked Questions
Mozilla Development Center: Monitoring WiFi access points
Mozilla Development Center: Using geolocation

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