Hi  !

Although you have changed the value of the 'geo.enabled' preference : Some websites, like Google are using your IP Address to determine where you are located, when the 'geo.enabled' preference in 'about:config' is turned off. GeoLocation uses wi-fi statistical information to determine your location (doesn't work for a wired connection PC), whereas your IP Address is matched thru service provider information about a particular IP Address or a narrow range of IP Addresses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Address

To keep websites from knowing your IP Address (and thus your approximate location - the location of an IP addresses typically isn't as accurate as GeoLocation) you would need to use a Proxy to serve as a "middle-man" connection.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxy_server

Hi

Thanks for replying Happy112! So if I used a proxy server Google geolocation would use the IP of the proxy server to tailor search results, am I understanding this correctly? This seems to be happening now when I use VPN: I get the country content of the VPN IP I'm currently on. Also, Google doesn't like when my VPN is buggy and switching around or in and out of different IPs: then I get to enter CAPTCHA. Both are annoying.

I would really prefer not having country specific content at all. Or at least be able to enter a fixed preferred location for queries going through Firefox.

Given that Firefox uses Google geolocation and so this communication goes through Firefox, is there a way to disable this in Firefox? A quick search seems to indicate that is possible in Chrome (though I only use Firefox), is there a feature like that in Firefox?

Thank you for your help!

The only thing I can think of now is to use www.google.com/ncr ......

So there is no feature or workaround in Firefox for avoiding Google geolocation is what you're saying. Too bad, I like Firefox otherwise. Thanks anyway.

SameSame said

So there is no feature or workaround in Firefox for avoiding Google geolocation is what you're saying. Too bad, I like Firefox otherwise. Thanks anyway.

Yes, but you already did that : disabled 'geolocation' on the 'about:config' page.

Unfortunately I can't think of anything other than what I've already
mentioned ..... Somebody else just might come up with another, perfect solution for you.

Note that Firefox will always ask for confirmation if a website want to use Geolocation. You can't prevent a website from doing a reverse look up of your current IP and serve you suitable content. The ncr switch for Google merely means that Google uses google.com instead of redirecting and even in that case Google may still decide to offer results based on your IP location.

Ok so there's a feature to turn off geolocation through about:config but it doesn't stop Google from displaying country specific content. Ncr switch for Google isn't really a solution either, I agree.

So it's either avoid Google or use another browser.

Thanks for your responses, that made things clearer.