Block HTTP requests on certain websites permanently, or modify them before they are passed, with this useful Firefox add-on that can protect your online privacy and improve your browsing experience.
- Negotiator for Firefox
- Version :0.0.8.4
- License :Trial
- OS :Windows All
- Publisher :Peter Hultqvist
Negotiator for Firefox Description
When you visit certain web pages, they often have your browser send a request to a different website, and these requests are often used to serve ads or deliver private information to advertising companies. Ad blockers do a good job of stopping these HTTP requests, but some users may prefer to have a bit more control over this operation.
Enter Negotiator for Firefox, a browser extension that enables you to both block HTTP requests and perform modifications to HTTP referers before they are sent out. It is aimed at advanced users, but even novices can make use of some of its functions. If you don’t use Firefox and have stumbled here by accident, you may be interested in Negotiator for Chrome.
The importance of controlling HTTP requests
Most cross-site requests made by your browser are not dangerous and will not compromise your online privacy. However, some result in personal information being sent to third-parties, usually advertising companies.
Negotiator for Firefox offers features that users of RequestPolicy, another popular browser extension, will be familiar with. Additionally, it enables you to modify the HTTP referers that are sent for each website, similar to the RefControl Firefox add-on.
Block or filter HTTP requests and change HTTP referers
Once installed, the extension will be accessible from the Firefox Toolbar, where the total number of HTTP requests is displayed when you open a web page. You can assign a specific action to each request, whether you wish to block it entirely, let it through or perform modifications to the header.
Setting up filters is a bit more complicated, and inexperienced users will likely want to stay away from this section of the UI, at least at first. It would have helped if some more detailed instructions were provided.
Practical user interface that would benefit from a small improvement
Negotiator for Firefox will not stun you with its looks, but it blends well into the browser’s UI and features a straightforward layout that should be easy enough to understand.
Unfortunately, though, it does not seem to be possible to hide the number that is displayed next to the extension’s toolbar icon, which lets you know how many HTTP requests have been received from a certain website.
In short, Negotiator for Firefox is a great extension for users who are concerned about their online privacy and wish to be able to control what Firefox does when various websites are accessed. It might not be particularly novice-friendly, and the UI could use some tweaks, but it provides you with a great deal of control over what happens during your browsing sessions.