It appears to add fewer than other browsers, but I’m not quite sure why it adds “?channel=fenc&client=firefox-b-1-d” to searches when only the q/query parameter is needed for them to work.

  • PerhyteEnglish
    5·
    2 years ago

    Google pays Mozilla to be the default search engine.

    My guess is that this is part of that deal, so they can track its effects: this way Google can see how many Firefox users arrive at a Google search through that search integration (as opposed to via other paths like clicking links or entering the URL manually).

    • ArcticCircleSystem@fedia.ioOP
      1·
      2 years ago

      Thanks!

      Update: I have figured out how to remove the client parameter, though I’m still not sure why the channel parameter is there. Any idea what that’s about?

  • Adsooi
    1·
    2 years ago

    Probably in order for Google to know how much of its searches come from being the default search engine in Firefox clients. It is probably part of their deal, and would logically affect the amount of money Google is paying Mozilla to be the default.

  • Carighan Maconar
    11·
    2 years ago

    Probably because Google has various variants of its pages it can present based on what each browser can or cannot render, if I had to guess.

  • glad_cat@lemmy.sdf.org
    0·
    2 years ago

    I’m curious about this too. Are you using the “Strict” mode for the tracking protection in the settings?