How to Effectively Disable WebRTC in Firefox Driver Using Selenium

Learn how to properly disable the `media.peerconnection.enabled` option in the Firefox WebDriver for enhanced anonymity in your automation tasks.
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Understanding the Need to Disable WebRTC in Firefox Selenium Driver

As developers constantly seek anonymity and privacy, disabling WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is often seen as a necessary step, especially when working with automation tools like Selenium. Many users encounter issues when trying to disable this feature in Firefox using the media.peerconnection.enabled option, which can lead to confusion and frustration.

In this guide, we will walk through the reasons behind Firefox ignoring the media.peerconnection.enabled option and provide a straightforward solution to effectively disable WebRTC in your Selenium automation scripts.

The Problem: Firefox Ignoring the WebRTC Preference

When attempting to use Selenium to automate a bot in Firefox, you might come across the following situation:

You want to increase anonymity by disabling WebRTC, so you set the preference using the command:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Upon running your code and checking the Firefox configuration at about:config, you find that the setting is still enabled (True), contradicting your intention to disable it.

This issue arises because the preference for media.peerconnection.enabled is only applied to a Firefox profile, and not directly to the Firefox options when you instantiate the WebDriver.

The Solution: Using FirefoxProfile to Set Preferences

To properly set the preference that disables WebRTC, you'll need to utilize FirefoxProfile. This allows you to specify browser settings effectively and ensures that you can maintain your desired level of anonymity in your automation work.

Here’s How to Do It Step-by-Step:

Import Required Libraries: Ensure you have the necessary libraries imported.

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Create Firefox Options and Profile: Set up your Firefox options and create a new profile.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Disable WebRTC: Use the profile object to set the preference for WebRTC as follows:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Instantiate the WebDriver: Finally, create the Firefox WebDriver instance using the profile object.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Complete Example Code

Here’s the complete code you can use to automate your task while ensuring WebRTC is disabled:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

Disabling WebRTC in the Firefox WebDriver to enhance anonymity is a common requirement for Selenium automation tasks. By using FirefoxProfile, you can effectively set preferences that the standard options alone cannot achieve. This method provides a reliable solution to ensure your WebRTC is disabled during your automation activities.

By following the steps outlined in this post, you can take control of your privacy and make informed decisions regarding your WebRTC settings. Happy coding!