Firefox extension installation improvements

Extension Developer Permissions and Data Collection Survey

We are looking to make the extension installation and permissions/data consent process easier for extension developers and Firefox users in 2025. To do this, we're looking to hear from developers about which permissions and data types their extensions use today. Any information you provide in this survey will be handled in accordance to the Mozilla Privacy Policy.

For any extension you currently develop, please answer the following questions to help inform our research.

1. What permissions does your extension use?

2. What types of data does your extension send, transmit or collect?

	Required	Optional	Not applicable	Reason for sending this data (optional)
	Data Type			Reason for sending this data (optional)
Personally identifying information - Includes contact information like name and address, email, and phone number, as well as other identifying data such as ID numbers, voice or video recordings, age, demographic information, or biometric data.	Personally identifying information - Includes contact information like name and address, email, and phone number, as well as other identifying data such as ID numbers, voice or video recordings, age, demographic information, or biometric data.: Data Type: Required	Personally identifying information - Includes contact information like name and address, email, and phone number, as well as other identifying data such as ID numbers, voice or video recordings, age, demographic information, or biometric data.: Data Type: Optional	Personally identifying information - Includes contact information like name and address, email, and phone number, as well as other identifying data such as ID numbers, voice or video recordings, age, demographic information, or biometric data.: Data Type: Not applicable	Reason for sending this data (optional)
Health information - Like medical history, symptoms, diagnoses, treatments, procedures, or heart rate data.	Health information - Like medical history, symptoms, diagnoses, treatments, procedures, or heart rate data.: Data Type: Required	Health information - Like medical history, symptoms, diagnoses, treatments, procedures, or heart rate data.: Data Type: Optional	Health information - Like medical history, symptoms, diagnoses, treatments, procedures, or heart rate data.: Data Type: Not applicable	Reason for sending this data (optional)
Financial and payment information - Like credit card numbers, transactions, credit ratings, financial statements, or payment history.	Financial and payment information - Like credit card numbers, transactions, credit ratings, financial statements, or payment history.: Data Type: Required	Financial and payment information - Like credit card numbers, transactions, credit ratings, financial statements, or payment history.: Data Type: Optional	Financial and payment information - Like credit card numbers, transactions, credit ratings, financial statements, or payment history.: Data Type: Not applicable	Reason for sending this data (optional)
Authentication information - Credentials such as passwords, usernames, personal identification numbers (PINs), security questions, and registration information for extensions that offer account-based services.	Authentication information - Credentials such as passwords, usernames, personal identification numbers (PINs), security questions, and registration information for extensions that offer account-based services.: Data Type: Required	Authentication information - Credentials such as passwords, usernames, personal identification numbers (PINs), security questions, and registration information for extensions that offer account-based services.: Data Type: Optional	Authentication information - Credentials such as passwords, usernames, personal identification numbers (PINs), security questions, and registration information for extensions that offer account-based services.: Data Type: Not applicable	Reason for sending this data (optional)
Personal communications - Such as emails, text or chat messages, social media posts, and data from phone calls and conference calls.	Personal communications - Such as emails, text or chat messages, social media posts, and data from phone calls and conference calls. : Data Type: Required	Personal communications - Such as emails, text or chat messages, social media posts, and data from phone calls and conference calls. : Data Type: Optional	Personal communications - Such as emails, text or chat messages, social media posts, and data from phone calls and conference calls. : Data Type: Not applicable	Reason for sending this data (optional)
Location - Like IP address, region, GPS coordinates, or information about things near a user’s device.	Location - Like IP address, region, GPS coordinates, or information about things near a user’s device.: Data Type: Required	Location - Like IP address, region, GPS coordinates, or information about things near a user’s device.: Data Type: Optional	Location - Like IP address, region, GPS coordinates, or information about things near a user’s device.: Data Type: Not applicable	Reason for sending this data (optional)
Browsing history - Information about the websites you visit, like specific URLs, top-level domains, or categories of pages you view over time.	Browsing history - Information about the websites you visit, like specific URLs, top-level domains, or categories of pages you view over time.: Data Type: Required	Browsing history - Information about the websites you visit, like specific URLs, top-level domains, or categories of pages you view over time.: Data Type: Optional	Browsing history - Information about the websites you visit, like specific URLs, top-level domains, or categories of pages you view over time.: Data Type: Not applicable	Reason for sending this data (optional)
Website content - Covers anything visible on a website — such as text, images, and links — as well as anything embedded like cookies, videos, audio, and site domain information.	Website content - Covers anything visible on a website — such as text, images, and links — as well as anything embedded like cookies, videos, audio, and site domain information.: Data Type: Required	Website content - Covers anything visible on a website — such as text, images, and links — as well as anything embedded like cookies, videos, audio, and site domain information.: Data Type: Optional	Website content - Covers anything visible on a website — such as text, images, and links — as well as anything embedded like cookies, videos, audio, and site domain information.: Data Type: Not applicable	Reason for sending this data (optional)
Website activity - Includes mouse and keyboard activity like scrolling, clicking, typing, and covers actions such as saving and downloading.	Website activity - Includes mouse and keyboard activity like scrolling, clicking, typing, and covers actions such as saving and downloading.: Data Type: Required	Website activity - Includes mouse and keyboard activity like scrolling, clicking, typing, and covers actions such as saving and downloading.: Data Type: Optional	Website activity - Includes mouse and keyboard activity like scrolling, clicking, typing, and covers actions such as saving and downloading.: Data Type: Not applicable	Reason for sending this data (optional)
Bookmarks - Information about Firefox bookmarks, including specific websites, bookmark names, and folder names.	Bookmarks - Information about Firefox bookmarks, including specific websites, bookmark names, and folder names.: Data Type: Required	Bookmarks - Information about Firefox bookmarks, including specific websites, bookmark names, and folder names.: Data Type: Optional	Bookmarks - Information about Firefox bookmarks, including specific websites, bookmark names, and folder names.: Data Type: Not applicable	Reason for sending this data (optional)
Technical data - Includes information about the environment the user is running, such as browser settings, platform information and hardware properties.	Technical data - Includes information about the environment the user is running, such as browser settings, platform information and hardware properties.: Data Type: Required	Technical data - Includes information about the environment the user is running, such as browser settings, platform information and hardware properties.: Data Type: Optional	Technical data - Includes information about the environment the user is running, such as browser settings, platform information and hardware properties.: Data Type: Not applicable	Reason for sending this data (optional)
Usage or interaction data - Includes how the user interacts with Firefox and the installed add-ons, metrics for product improvement, and error information.	Usage or interaction data - Includes how the user interacts with Firefox and the installed add-ons, metrics for product improvement, and error information.: Data Type: Required	Usage or interaction data - Includes how the user interacts with Firefox and the installed add-ons, metrics for product improvement, and error information.: Data Type: Optional	Usage or interaction data - Includes how the user interacts with Firefox and the installed add-ons, metrics for product improvement, and error information.: Data Type: Not applicable	Reason for sending this data (optional)
Other (Please specify in the text box to the right)	Other (Please specify in the text box to the right): Data Type: Required	Other (Please specify in the text box to the right): Data Type: Optional	Other (Please specify in the text box to the right): Data Type: Not applicable	Reason for sending this data (optional)

3. Imagine that you wanted to explain to your users why your extension needs the above data and permissions to function. Please write a single paragraph to explain this as simply as possible. *This question is required.

4. Do you have a privacy policy for your service or extension? *This question is required.

5. Is your extension listed publicly on addons.mozilla.org? *This question is required.

6. Are you happy to be contacted by our researchers in case they have follow up questions or want to discuss your answers? If so, please put your email address in below! This question requires a valid email address.

	Required	Optional	Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
	Permission Required			Reason for using this permission (optional)
Host permissions (All URLs)	Host permissions (All URLs): Permission Required: Required	Host permissions (All URLs): Permission Required: Optional	Host permissions (All URLs): Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Host permissions (Some specific websites)	Host permissions (Some specific websites): Permission Required: Required	Host permissions (Some specific websites): Permission Required: Optional	Host permissions (Some specific websites): Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Read and modify bookmarks	Read and modify bookmarks: Permission Required: Required	Read and modify bookmarks: Permission Required: Optional	Read and modify bookmarks: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Read and modify browser settings	Read and modify browser settings: Permission Required: Required	Read and modify browser settings: Permission Required: Optional	Read and modify browser settings: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Clear recent browsing history, cookies, and related data	Clear recent browsing history, cookies, and related data: Permission Required: Required	Clear recent browsing history, cookies, and related data: Permission Required: Optional	Clear recent browsing history, cookies, and related data: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Download files and read and modify the browser’s download history	Download files and read and modify the browser’s download history: Permission Required: Required	Download files and read and modify the browser’s download history: Permission Required: Optional	Download files and read and modify the browser’s download history: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Open files downloaded to your computer	Open files downloaded to your computer: Permission Required: Required	Open files downloaded to your computer: Permission Required: Optional	Open files downloaded to your computer: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Read the text of all open tabs	Read the text of all open tabs: Permission Required: Required	Read the text of all open tabs: Permission Required: Optional	Read the text of all open tabs: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Access your location	Access your location: Permission Required: Required	Access your location: Permission Required: Optional	Access your location: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Access browsing history	Access browsing history: Permission Required: Required	Access browsing history: Permission Required: Optional	Access browsing history: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Monitor extension usage and manage themes	Monitor extension usage and manage themes: Permission Required: Required	Monitor extension usage and manage themes: Permission Required: Optional	Monitor extension usage and manage themes: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Exchange messages with programs other than Firefox	Exchange messages with programs other than Firefox: Permission Required: Required	Exchange messages with programs other than Firefox: Permission Required: Optional	Exchange messages with programs other than Firefox: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Display notifications to you	Display notifications to you: Permission Required: Required	Display notifications to you: Permission Required: Optional	Display notifications to you: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Provide cryptographic authentication services (pkcs11)	Provide cryptographic authentication services (pkcs11): Permission Required: Required	Provide cryptographic authentication services (pkcs11): Permission Required: Optional	Provide cryptographic authentication services (pkcs11): Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Read and modify privacy settings	Read and modify privacy settings: Permission Required: Required	Read and modify privacy settings: Permission Required: Optional	Read and modify privacy settings: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Control browser proxy settings	Control browser proxy settings: Permission Required: Required	Control browser proxy settings: Permission Required: Optional	Control browser proxy settings: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Access recently closed tabs	Access recently closed tabs: Permission Required: Required	Access recently closed tabs: Permission Required: Optional	Access recently closed tabs: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Access browser tabs	Access browser tabs: Permission Required: Required	Access browser tabs: Permission Required: Optional	Access browser tabs: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Access browser activity during navigation	Access browser activity during navigation: Permission Required: Required	Access browser activity during navigation: Permission Required: Optional	Access browser activity during navigation: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Input data to the clipboard	Input data to the clipboard: Permission Required: Required	Input data to the clipboard: Permission Required: Optional	Input data to the clipboard: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Get data from the clipboard	Get data from the clipboard: Permission Required: Required	Get data from the clipboard: Permission Required: Optional	Get data from the clipboard: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Extend developer tools to access your data in open tabs	Extend developer tools to access your data in open tabs: Permission Required: Required	Extend developer tools to access your data in open tabs: Permission Required: Optional	Extend developer tools to access your data in open tabs: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Hide and show browser tabs	Hide and show browser tabs: Permission Required: Required	Hide and show browser tabs: Permission Required: Optional	Hide and show browser tabs: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Block content on any page	Block content on any page: Permission Required: Required	Block content on any page: Permission Required: Optional	Block content on any page: Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)
Other (Please specify in the text box to the right)	Other (Please specify in the text box to the right): Permission Required: Required	Other (Please specify in the text box to the right): Permission Required: Optional	Other (Please specify in the text box to the right): Permission Required: Not applicable	Reason for using this permission (optional)

Firefox extension installation improvements - 2025 Research Survey

Extension Developer Permissions and Data Collection Survey