Firefox Add-on?

emge

I really like the chrome extension for PIA, it's handy for using a VPN on computers that you might not be able to or don't want to VPN the entire connection and just protect your browsing. I do like to use Firefox at times as well though. Does anyone know if there are plans for a Firefox Add-on?

PIAAustin

Hey @emge, 

Thanks for reaching out! 

As of now, we do not have any plans to add a Firefox extension. 

I have, however, passed this suggestion along to our devs. 

I apologize for the inconvenience. 

tomeworm

I second the request, not because the PIA plugin for Chrome is a bad plugin but because Chrome is a bad browser. VERY BAD for anyone who cares about privacy. What were you thinking? Why did you go with a closed source proprietary app from a company that's renowned for data mining/spying on us? Why didn't you go with something open source like Mozilla? Your decision makes no sense, unless that is you really don't care anymore about privacy.

I'm distrustful of all things Google, especially after dialoguing with former Google employees and discovering all the ways they data mine and spy and even cooperate with NSA. So I don't anticipate using Chrome or the PIA extension very often, if at all.

Firefox is my go to browser. Is there any likelihood that PIA will ever be releasing a Firefox app? I ask because the Bypass List feature is particularly useful (so many sites these days that ban vpns, such as banks, etc.). 

PIAAustin

Thanks for the feedback everyone. 

Personally, I prefer using Firefox to Chrome - so I can totally understand the reasoning. 

Please know that your suggestions have been heard  

Omnibus_IV

Do not take this personally, but the whole purpose for an encrypted system was to protect your assets not your browser. If you jumped ship because of a silly little ad-on then I really wonder where your priorities are. Again, not beating you down for this, it just does not make any logical sense. But, this is what you want to do and that is good.

tomeworm

Omnibus_IV said:

Do not take this personally, but the whole purpose for an encrypted system was to protect your assets not your browser. If you jumped ship because of a silly little ad-on then I really wonder where your priorities are. Again, not beating you down for this, it just does not make any logical sense. But, this is what you want to do and that is good.

Oh goodie! Thanks so much that we have your approval to make this request. It is, after all, important that our wishes and desires as PIA customers first pass muster with you. Well actually none of this does pass muster with you. But at least this time you're not shouting us down.

evilvibes

Firefox for sure !! Make it happen PIA!

OpenVPN

PIAAustin said:

Hey @emge, 

Thanks for reaching out! 

As of now, we do not have any plans to add a Firefox extension. 

I have, however, passed this suggestion along to our devs. 

I apologize for the inconvenience. 

PIAAustin said:

Thanks for the feedback everyone. 

Personally, I prefer using Firefox to Chrome - so I can totally understand the reasoning. 

Please know that your suggestions have been heard  

+1 for the Firefox browser extension. I would also like to request a Safari browser extension.

tomeworm said:

I second the request, not because the PIA plugin for Chrome is a bad plugin but because Chrome is a bad browser. VERY BAD for anyone who cares about privacy. What were you thinking? Why did you go with a closed source proprietary app from a company that's renowned for data mining/spying on us? Why didn't you go with something open source like Mozilla? Your decision makes no sense, unless that is you really don't care anymore about privacy.

I'm distrustful of all things Google, especially after dialoguing with former Google employees and discovering all the ways they data mine and spy and even cooperate with NSA. So I don't anticipate using Chrome or the PIA extension very often, if at all.

Firefox is my go to browser. Is there any likelihood that PIA will ever be releasing a Firefox app? I ask because the Bypass List feature is particularly useful (so many sites these days that ban vpns, such as banks, etc.). 

I agree with you 100%. Chrome is absolutely disastrous when it comes to privacy but on the other hand it's one of the most secure browsers on the market and it's the number one downloaded browser in the world for some reason. I can definitely see why they chose to do a chrome extension. Chrome isn't privacy friendly by default but you can change the settings to where the browser doesn't send information to Google or any other private company.

How to De-Google your Google Chrome


Chrome isn't my default browser, the only reason I use it is to get access to the Private Internet Access extension. I only use the extension after I'm connected to the Private Internet Access Network via the desktop application. I like to double hop my connection for extra security.

Omnibus_IV

Well, then, as a paid customer of PIA I say don't waste money on such a trivial app for Firefox. There! LOL

tomeworm

OpenVPN said:

Chrome isn't privacy friendly by default but you can change the settings to where the browser doesn't send information to Google or any other private company.

And I say given Google's track record of data mining and spying it's imprudent to trust them. In my view using Chrome is akin to using a vpn but failing to disable WebRTC in your browser (regardless of which one you use) and expecting that you're safe. Google has a very bad reputation for invading privacy and they've been exposed for it several times. Even if you can guarantee that you've successfully disabled Chrome from surreptitiously turning on your microphone, camera, etc. who's to say they won't bypass that in the next release, and along with it make their spying even more difficult to detect? Chrome has rightly been called a "black box" because no one can really know for sure what spying Google is doing on its users. I say use Chrome if you really like it that much and really believe it's better than XYZ browser, but at least don't be naive and think using Chrome won't make it twice as easy for Google to spy on you. 

I choose to use Mozilla/Firefox, and first and foremost I do so because it's open source. Unlike Chrome it's not a black box.

Omnibus_IV said:

Well, then, as a paid customer of PIA I say don't waste money on such a trivial app for Firefox. There! LOL

Thanks once again for invalidating us and our networking needs. We can always count on you for that.

Omnibus_IV

One is glad to be of service.

tomeworm

It's ironic that even PIA rates Chrome as "Poor" for Privacy:

Privacy: While the browser does offer the usual pop-up blocker and allows users to send a “Do Not Track” request along with their browser traffic, one simply cannot ignore that Chrome belongs to the company that makes millions from knowing everything about you. And although there are ways around this, it doesn’t change the fact that Google is using Chrome to learn about you and then monetising that information. Furthermore, since Chrome is a closed-source browser, it means that the source code is not able to be inspected to ensure that nothing is hidden in the code.

However, they do rate Firefox as "Excellent." Yet PIA chose Chrome as the browser for its plugin platform while expressing zero interest in supporting an "Excellent" -rated open source browser. What gives with that?

As Jayson notes Firefox is also the platform for TorBrowser, an app I've long used myself. There are obvious reasons why the TOR Project went with Firefox and could never consider using Chrome.

It appears PIA is far from committed to our privacy when they actively encourage their customers to use an unsafe black box browser. And make no mistake that is the inevitable result. The average PIA customer is not going to do their homework. They'll assume by PIA offering a plugin for Chrome that PIA is giving its endorsement to Chrome. They'll assume Chrome must be a safe browser when even PIA knows it's not.

The intelligent decision would have been to create a plugin for Firefox, see what kind of customer feedback they got, and then if enough customers requested a Chrome plugin as well to go ahead and develop one, but to only offer it with a strongly worded disclaimer and warning.

Anach

Using the full VPN software is far less practical than using the Chrome plugin, but it's also a pain having to switch to Chrome from Firefox every time I wish to use it. I too would like to see a Firefox extension.

tomeworm

After careful consideration I've reached a decision. Though my PIA subscription is very reasonably priced, and I've annually renewed it a number of times, and would have automatically renewed again in 6 months, unless PIA makes a commitment to provide a Firefox plugin this will be the last straw for me. I absolutely need that "bypass" feature you put in the Chrome plugin. It's something I long ago requested be put into the PIA app, and I know many others have requested the same thing. Like so many other requests it's just gone ignored. Instead of giving your customers what they ask for you include "bypass" in a browser plugin for a browser that even your own company knows is an unsafe black box. Your idiocy knows no bounds.

Apart from a Firefox plugin I'll soon be departing for another vpn provider. They'll cost me more but they also offer things that you don't and likely never will, things that are more than worth the price (like actual technical support). I'm tired of getting jerked around PIA. I'm tired of your foolish and irrational decisions that are entirely driven by marketing hype. I'm tired of your non-existent "support." I'm tired of your marketing hype and the way that you've repeatedly ignored the very genuine and legitimate concerns and questions I and others have raised in these forums. For example there is your alleged no-logging policies, etc. I seek out substance and rational dialogue only to be met with more of your marketing hype. When pressed for answers to difficult questions you just close the threads, and you've done so repeatedly. Plainly put you're dishonest. That's the inevitable result of marketing hype. I'm tired of it all. Your pricing structure is reasonable, but there's just been too much aggravation that goes with it. Life's too stressful as it is.

p8001513

tomeworm said:

After careful consideration I've reached a decision. Though my PIA subscription is very reasonably priced, and I've annually renewed it a number of times, and would have automatically renewed again in 6 months, unless PIA makes a commitment to provide a Firefox plugin this will be the last straw for me. I absolutely need that "bypass" feature you put in the Chrome plugin. It's something I long ago requested be put into the PIA app, and I know many others have requested the same thing. Like so many other requests it's just gone ignored. Instead of giving your customers what they ask for you include "bypass" in a browser plugin for a browser that even your own company knows is an unsafe black box. Your idiocy knows no bounds.

Apart from a Firefox plugin I'll soon be departing for another vpn provider. They'll cost me more but they also offer things that you don't and likely never will, things that are more than worth the price (like actual technical support). I'm tired of getting jerked around PIA. I'm tired of your foolish and irrational decisions that are entirely driven by marketing hype. I'm tired of your non-existent "support." I'm tired of your marketing hype and the way that you've repeatedly ignored the very genuine and legitimate concerns and questions I and others have raised in these forums. For example there is your alleged no-logging policies, etc. I seek out substance and rational dialogue only to be met with more of your marketing hype. When pressed for answers to difficult questions you just close the threads, and you've done so repeatedly. Plainly put you're dishonest. That's the inevitable result of marketing hype. I'm tired of it all. Your pricing structure is reasonable, but there's just been too much aggravation that goes with it. Life's too stressful as it is.

I just wanted to say thank you and I will be doing the same. Your forum post gave me the "push" I needed.

joeldroid

Yeah this will be a factor for me as well, it should not be that hard as Firefox now uses web extensions similar to Chrome (I can say this as I'm a developer myself).
I will not be renewing PIA and moving elsewhere as well. But I do hope PIA listens to its customers and change their minds.

p2223201

p8001513 said:

tomeworm said:

After careful consideration I've reached a decision. Though my PIA subscription is very reasonably priced, and I've annually renewed it a number of times, and would have automatically renewed again in 6 months, unless PIA makes a commitment to provide a Firefox plugin this will be the last straw for me. I absolutely need that "bypass" feature you put in the Chrome plugin. It's something I long ago requested be put into the PIA app, and I know many others have requested the same thing. Like so many other requests it's just gone ignored. Instead of giving your customers what they ask for you include "bypass" in a browser plugin for a browser that even your own company knows is an unsafe black box. Your idiocy knows no bounds.

Apart from a Firefox plugin I'll soon be departing for another vpn provider. They'll cost me more but they also offer things that you don't and likely never will, things that are more than worth the price (like actual technical support). I'm tired of getting jerked around PIA. I'm tired of your foolish and irrational decisions that are entirely driven by marketing hype. I'm tired of your non-existent "support." I'm tired of your marketing hype and the way that you've repeatedly ignored the very genuine and legitimate concerns and questions I and others have raised in these forums. For example there is your alleged no-logging policies, etc. I seek out substance and rational dialogue only to be met with more of your marketing hype. When pressed for answers to difficult questions you just close the threads, and you've done so repeatedly. Plainly put you're dishonest. That's the inevitable result of marketing hype. I'm tired of it all. Your pricing structure is reasonable, but there's just been too much aggravation that goes with it. Life's too stressful as it is.

I just wanted to say thank you and I will be doing the same. Your forum post gave me the "push" I needed.

I too will soon move on to another VPN solution if PIA is still unwilling to invest the small amount of effort to develope a Firefox addon. Firefox now supports the same addon system as Chrome. Should take a very minimal effort. I've not heard anything that has lead me to believe that this is in the works so I will move on.

Much of the community that supports PIA and values privacy also has made the decision to use Firefox for the very same reasons. I loved the chrome extension when I used Chrome. I have switched to Firefox, please dont make me switch my VPN solution as well.

evilvibes

Any new info on this? @Max-P

Max-P

@evilvibes No announcement yet no. I've seen some mentions of what it would take to make one but no concrete plans or ETA that I'm aware of sadly. The team is aware of the demand for it, that's all I know.

[Deleted User]

In the meantime, those of us using Debian or another similar GNU/Linux flavor can:

sudo apt-get install proxychains
sed -i -e "s/proxy_dns/#proxy_dns/g" /etc/proxychains.conf
sed -i -e "s/socks4/#socks4/g" /etc/proxychains.conf'
echo -n "socks5 PIA_PROXY_IP PIA_PROXY_PORT PIA_PROXY_UID PIA_PROXY_PASS" >> /etc/proxychains.conf
proxychains firefox-esr

timzter

I'd like to see a Firefox Add-On too.  The SOCKS5 proxy in Firefox does not prompt for credentials.

OpenVPN

timzter said:

I'd like to see a Firefox Add-On too.  The SOCKS5 proxy in Firefox does not prompt for credentials.

There's currently an active beta program for browser extensions, Firefox is part of the beta program.