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If you use Firefox, this browser extension will prevent Facebook from tracking you

Posted at 7:47 AM, Mar 28, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-28 08:58:28-04

The Cambridge Analytica scandal has thrust Facebook privacy settings into the national conversation after the political firm used the personal data of about 50 million people without their consent.

Now, Mozilla is helping Firefox users keep their Facebook data secure so they won't be exploited in the future.

The company has introduced a Firefox extension that it says will make it much harder for Facebook to track which websites you browse.

Facebook has developed a network of trackers that tell the social media site which of its users are visiting certain webpages, like online retailers. Facebook will then use that information to serve its users ads based on what products they've been viewing.

Mozilla says its Facebook Container extension will make it much more difficult to track which websites you visit, and keep your browsing information private.

Mozilla admits the extension isn't perfect. In a blog post, the company said that the extension would not have prevented user information from being abused in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. It also says that Facebook Container would not work well on sites which require you to use Facebook information to log in.

But Mozilla says the simple step of downloading the extension is giving power back to internet users. 

"Troves of data are being collected on your behavior on the internet, and so giving users a choice to limit what they share in a way that is under their control is important," the company wrote.

To download Facebook container, first download the free Mozilla Firefox browser if you're not already using it. Then, all you need to do is click this link and add the extension.

Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.