When you open a new tab in Firefox, you might notice recommended stories appearing. These stories are selected to provide informative, inspiring and engaging content. This FAQ addresses common questions about why these stories are shown, how they’re selected, and what data is involved. Whether you’re curious about personalization, privacy or simply want to customize your New Tab experience, we’ve got you covered.

Recommended content

Why am I seeing these stories in the Firefox New Tab?

Firefox elevates stories that are informative, inspiring, and offer unique perspectives. Our curation team selects these stories from a diverse range of publications known for trustworthy and accurate coverage. The goal is to feature content that appeals to a broad audience while avoiding overly generalized or “clickbait” material.

Are these stories personalized for me?

Most recommendations on your New Tab come from a general list of top stories. We are exploring ways to offer personalized recommendations while protecting your privacy. Mozilla never receives a copy of your browser history.

If you opt for personalization (like choosing favorite topics), recommendations may involve a hybrid process where much of the sorting and filtering happens locally in your Firefox browser. Mozilla servers use non-personally identifiable information to assist with overall ranking.

Why do some stories have a “sponsored by” label?

Mozilla partners with select publishers and brands to offer you sponsored stories. These stories are always clearly marked as “sponsored”, so you know they’re paid content.

If you don’t want to see a sponsored story, click the button next to it and select Dismiss. For more details on opting out of sponsored stories, see Pocket sponsored stories on new tabs.

Why do I see stories with older publication dates?

Not all great stories are published within the last 24 hours. Mozilla is committed to highlighting the best content on the web, regardless of when it was published.

Why am I seeing stories that are behind a paywall?

Occasionally, you might encounter articles from sites that use paywalls. We aim to recommend content that’s not behind hard paywalls, but some sites with soft paywalls may be included.

Our mission is to connect you with the best stories on the web. While paywalls can be frustrating, they are sometimes necessary to support high-quality journalism. If you encounter a paywall, it might be because you’ve reached your free article limit. You can choose to subscribe to the publisher or move on to another article.

How do I remove a specific story from my New Tab page?

If you don’t like a recommended story, you can dismiss it by clicking in the top right corner of the tile and selecting Dismiss.

How do I turn off recommended stories on my New Tab page?

If you prefer not to see recommended stories, follow these steps:

1. In the upper right corner of the New Tab page, click .
2. Click next to Recommended stories to turn them off.
3. Click to finish.

For detailed instructions, including how to disable recommendations on Firefox for mobile devices, see Hide Pocket recommendations in Firefox.

How can I customize features on the New Tab page besides recommended stories?

For details on customizing your New Tab page, refer to these articles:

• Customize your New Tab page to hide or display content
• Customize items on your Firefox New Tab page

Data and privacy

Is data collected when I interact with New Tab recommendations, and what controls do I have?

By default, when stories are recommended on your New Tab page, Firefox collects data on how often they appear and how many times they are clicked. This data is not linked to any technical or interaction information about you or your Firefox browser. You can learn more about the data we collect and opt out data collection if you prefer.

If you choose topics of interest to personalize your recommendations, the selected topics will be collected to improve the relevance of the recommended articles and sponsored content on your New Tab page. This information is also not associated with any technical or interaction data about you or your Firefox browser.

To learn more about what data Mozilla receives and how it’s used, see Mozilla's Firefox Privacy Notice.

Do sponsors receive data about me when I view sponsored stories?

Mozilla values your privacy. Except for aggregated totals of impressions and clicks, sponsors do not receive any additional data. We do not collect or share personally identifiable information with sponsors.

How can I opt out of data collection?

Firefox and Pocket collect technical and usage data by default, but you can opt out anytime:

1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and then select Preferences or Settings, depending on your macOS version.Click the menu button and select Settings.
2. Select the panel.
3. Scroll down to the Firefox Data Collection and Use section.
4. Uncheck the box next to Allow Firefox to send technical and interaction data to Mozilla.

Related articles

• Hide Pocket recommendations in Firefox
• New Tab page in Firefox
• Customize your New Tab page to hide or display content