Firefox 57 release overview

Mozilla plans to release Firefox 57.0 to the stable channel on November 14, 2017. The new version of the web browser is a major release as it introduces big changes to the browser's performance, interface, and add-on compatibility. For the full article go here.  https://www.ghacks.net/2017/11/13/firefox-57-release-overview/

Hello

It appears that there has been a running discussion of this problem with Norton Security and Firefox Quantum at the following site:

https://community.norton.com/en/forums/bring-back-safeweb-icons-google-search-firefox-please-reply

As yet (12/16/2017) there has been no satisfactory reply.

MLB

I must admit I have no faith or trust whatsoever in the new Norton / Firefox 57 "Safe Web" interface.

I use Firefox, I have Norton AV, I use Google for virtually all my searches yet the new "interface" that just has a green "tick" icon on the toolbar is next to useless.

For example I have just been looking for some help on the Windows 10 Homegroup icon issue (appearing on the desktop) and a number of the search results have been blocked by either Firefox or, AFTER clicking on them, by Norton.

In the past I have simply avoided ANY site that did not have the old green "safe" tick from Norton in the Google search results list - now it's a case of kicking on the front door of a suspect site before being told its potentially dangerous. This is completely backward step in my opinion as I'd rather not kick on the door at all !!

Either Norton fixes this soon or Firefox stops behaving like Microsoft.

I'm about to switch back to Chrome (or even IE !!) and will also start looking at alternative AV products when my licence comes up for renewal in a few weeks time.

And they call this progress (well perhaps it is if you live your life on a mobile phone rather than a real PC) !!

Hello Imacri

Thank you for your replies.  I hope Symantec finds some spoof-proof way to enable the previous Google search performance for active Norton Security owners.  I tend to be leery of shareware or off-brand security or search solutions.

MLB

MLBar:
...I note that rolling back to an earlier version of Firefox does not restore the old Safe-Search performance...

 Hi MLBar:

That's correct.  The Norton Security Toolbar v2017.11.0.1 for Firefox was the last Firefox extension to use the legacy Add-on SDK Firefox API, and this browser toolbar was discontinued when Norton was updated from v22.11.0.41 to v22.11.2.7 - see the Feature Changes section of Norton 22.11.2 Product Update Available Now posted in the Product Update Announcements blog.  Even if you downgrade to an earlier version of Norton v22.x to get the legacy toolbar back and working with an earlier version of Firefox you'll loose the toolbar again as soon as LiveUpdate automatically patches you to Norton v22.11.2.7.

The danger of such a policy is that it might prompt Google to develop their own web security product.  As a Norton Security user, I see this has caused a reduction in security when using Google as the default engine.

IE11 and Google Chrome still display the Norton Safe Web site rating icons in Google searches.  If you don't want to use an alternate extension like WOT- Web of Trust or Bitdefender TrafficLight in FF v57 for your Google searches and you have a Win 7 or higher OS that supports IE11 or Chrome v62 you might want to consider switching to a different browser - at least until someone from Symantec tells us if they have any plans to fix the new Norton Safe Web v2.3.0.24 extension for Firefox and return our site rating icons back in our Google searches.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.5.0 * NS Premium v22.11.2.7 * MB Premium v3.3.1

 

"... so I suspect that Symantec made a deliberate decision to only show Norton Safe Web icons in Norton Safe Search search results as a way to "encourage" customers to use their own search tool. "

The danger of such a policy is that it might prompt Google to develop their own web security product.  As a Norton Security user, I see this has caused a reduction in security when using Google as the default engine.  I note that rolling back to an earlier version of Firefox does not restore the old Safe-Search performance.

MLB

MLBar:

"the Norton Safe Web site ratings icons are no longer displayed in Google and Bing search results."

In my view, that is the problem with Firefox Quantum (57), which makes browsing with that application less secure than earlier versions.  I would rather have security than speed.

 Hi MLBar:

There are other FF v57-compatible browsers extensions like WOT- Web of Trust and Bitdefender TrafficLight that display site safety rating icons in Google and Bing search results so I suspect that Symantec made a deliberate decision to only show Norton Safe Web icons in Norton Safe Search search results as a way to "encourage" customers to use their own search tool.  If you want to try WOT or TrafficLight please be sure to read their privacy policies before installing - links to privacy policies are posted on the download page of each extension available on the Firefox AMO store at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/.

Norton Safe Web and Norton Safe Search were built in to the old Norton Security Toolbar but that toolbar was only available to customers who purchased a Norton AV product.  Symantec is likely looking for ways to monetize Safe Web and Safe Search now that all Norton browser extensions can be installed for free by any Firefox user.  The Search Engine Land article Will Ask.com Google Arbitrage Ever Stop? describes how search engine companies can profit from practices like search arbitrage (e.g., trying to drive traffic to sites where the search engine company profits from pay-per-click ads) or collecting data from the browsing history of first-party users and reselling it to advertisers who use that data to improve their ad targeting.

Be sure to read the Norton Browser Extensions Privacy Notice, which describes how data is collected from your browser and shared with Google Analytics and "third party partners".  Norton Safe Search uses the Ask.com search engine and forwards your search query to this "third party partner" for processing, and the Norton privacy notice states that "it is our Third Party Partner, rather than Symantec, who decides how your Third Party Data will be collected, used, disclosed, retained, or otherwise processed."
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.5.0 * NS Premium v22.11.2.7 * MB Premium v3.3.1

 

"the Norton Safe Web site ratings icons are no longer displayed in Google and Bing search results."

In my view, that is the problem with Firefox Quantum (57), which makes browsing with that application less secure than earlier versions.  I would rather have security than speed. 

I have recently been able to install the Norton Safe Search add-on to Firefox 57 and I can confirm the truth of your quoted comment above with an apparently nonfunctional version of Norton Safe Search listed as an installed and enabled Firefox 57 extension.

MLB

Hi MLBar:

The new Norton Safe Web v2.3.0.24 extension for Firefox (available at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/norton-safe-web/) is not a toolbar like the old Norton Security Toolbar.  If Norton Safe Web is installed and enabled in your Firefox Add-ons Manager, you should see a small site ratings icon (a check mark inside a green square if you are visiting a safe site; a question mark inside a grey square if the safety rating is unknown) displayed in the upper right of your browser next to the search bar.  You will only see site rating icons displayed in your search results if you click on that icon and use the built-in Norton Safe Search as shown below - the Norton Safe Web site ratings icons are no longer displayed in Google and Bing search results.

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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.5.0 * NS Premium v22.11.2.7 * MB Premium v3.3.1

As of today, 21 November 2017, Norton Safe Search is not available for Firefox Quantum (57.)   On my Windows 7 system, it also appears that the Norton Toolbar is not available/compatible with the new menu layout even if Norton Safe Web is listed as installed (only the Menu Bar and the Bookmarks Toolbar are listed as toolbar options.)

Thus using Firefox 57 presents an elevated security risk when browsing as compared with earlier versions of Firefox.  I hope Symantec (or Mozilla) fixes this problem by the next major Norton Security update.

MLB

No idea when or even if Symantec plan on returning SafeWeb annotations to Google / Bing searches, but knowing Symantec it will not happen over night.  All I can say is that they are aware we would like to see their return.

Any idea as to when they'll integrate the 'safety notification feature' with Google and Bing search results? I really don't like the Norton Safe Search as a search engine.

MLBar:

It appears that Firefox Quantum is incompatible with Norton Security extensions, such as Safe Search, as of 16 November 2017 as it requires all its extensions to be developed under the WebExtensions API.

Hi MLBar:

See the Norton support article Cannot find the Norton Security Toolbar in Mozilla Firefox.  That support article has a link to the browser protection page at https://identitysafe.norton.com/client that allows you to enable the new Norton Safe Web v2.3.0.24 extension in Firefox v57 / Firefox ESR v52.

One of the major shortcomings of this new Norton Safe Web extension for Firefox is that safety rating icons are no longer displayed in Google or Bing search results.  You must use Norton Safe Search (which is built in to the new Norton Safe Web extension) if you want to see those icons in your search results.  See FireFox 57 Final at MajorGeeks for feedback from other Firefox users.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.5.0 * NS Premium v22.11.2.7 * MB Premium v3.3.1

 

It appears that Firefox Quantum is incompatible with Norton Security extensions, such as Safe Search, as of 16 November 2017 as it requires all its extensions to be developed under the WebExtensions API.

MLB