I launched each application in safe mode (extensions off) to about:blank and monitored packets going in and out.
Code: Select all
firefox --safe-mode about:blank
palemoon --safe-mode about:blank
Firefox - Within 5 seconds, over 500 packets and outgoing payloads containing significant amounts of encrypted data containing who knows what. Destination IPs point to Google Cloud servers, Amazon servers, Mozilla servers, etc. To be fair, most of it seemed to be relatively harmless and related to security/sync. One to Mozilla Contile Tile Service (ad partners). A lot of activity nevertheless.
Pale Moon - Nothing. A blank log. Not a single solitary packet to be found.
Good job Pale Moon