Mozilla is removing "Does Firefox sell your personal data?" in anticpation of ToS change
* ToS copy updates (fix #16016) * Apply suggestions from code review - copy change Co-authored-by: maureenlholland <maureen@silverorange.com> --------- Co-authored-by: maureenlholland <...
Oh fuch!
I never donated to Mozilla so can't really complain. At the same time I'm 17yo so never had much chance of being financially sustainable to afford any monthly subscriptions/donations.
I'm using Orion on my Mac at the moment and Firefox on my Arch laptop + Fennec on my GrapheneOS phone (need the extensions that are not supported on Vanadium).
Even if Orion is not open-source, Kagi is really making good software so I think I'm gonna pay for it so it lasts during time. Is there a way to verify they're not selling data?
https://kagi.com/orion/ https://kagi.com/orion/faq.html#privacy
They're going to open-source someday I think, I really need to start helping them financially because I like what they make.
Might be an alternative for Mac users.
Is there a way to verify they're not selling data?
Your privacy FAQ link says they do not send telemetry back -- that claim could be tested by using network inspection tools like Wireshark if you know what you're doing.
I really need go get to doing it ehehe. It's been sitting on my todo list for too long.
I wouldn't mind them sending telemetry to tailor the product to their user's need though. I wonder how they collect this without sending requests
They add this line earlier in the code:
Firefox is independent and a part of the not-for-profit Mozilla, which fights for your online rights, keeps corporate powers in check and makes the internet accessible to everyone, everywhere. We believe the internet is for people, not profit. Unlike other companies, we don’t sell access to your data. You’re in control over who sees your search and browsing history. All that and exceptional performance too.
Seriously, do better and stop needlessly shaming Mozilla.
[edit] Read the replies to my message. There is good insight. Im probably very wrong here. Leaving my comment intact for context.
Did you read anything else in that PR? Explain why every other mention of them never selling your data has been marked as obsolete come 25th of April? Changing things like
Super free, actually. No hidden costs or anything. You don’t pay anything to use it, and we don’t sell your personal data.
to
Super free, actually. No hidden costs or anything. You don’t pay anything to use it.
# Obsolete string (expires 25-04-2025)
nope-never-have = Nope. Never have, never will. And we protect you from many of the advertisers who do. { -brand-name-firefox } products are designed to protect your privacy. <a href="{ $url }">That’s a promise.</a>
So much for that promise. Companies aren't your friend.
All of this sucks, but I'm going to specifically complain that the first edit just makes no sense. The old terms say "Super free, actually" and then explain how super free is different from free. The edited version just defines super free the same way every normal human defines free: "You don't pay anything to use it." What's super about using words for their intended meaning?
This should very much be illegal. Companies should be held to the promises they make on their websites, it can't be as easy as deleting it and pretending it never happened.
Also, "You don’t pay anything to use it" is still a false statement. You're not paying money, but being tracked and sold means giving up something more valuable than money - information and potentially influence about who you are as a person - in exchange for access to a service.
Companies aren't your friend.
I know Mozilla has been under fire for not being truly non-profit, but it is a corp fully owned by a non-profit. Are there any billionaires in Mozilla?
Also (completely basing on your comment btw, "every other mention"), if there is still one mention of it in the ToS the policy doesn't seem to have really changed? Just a change in emphasis.
{% if switch('firefox-tou') %}
<p>Firefox is independent and a part of the not-for-profit Mozilla, which fights for your online rights, keeps corporate powers in check and makes the internet accessible to everyone, everywhere. We believe the internet is for people, not profit. You’re in control over who sees your search and browsing history. All that and exceptional performance too.</p>
{% else %}
<p>Firefox is independent and a part of the not-for-profit Mozilla, which fights for your online rights, keeps corporate powers in check and makes the internet accessible to everyone, everywhere. We believe the internet is for people, not profit. Unlike other companies, we don’t sell access to your data. You’re in control over who sees your search and browsing history. All that and exceptional performance too.</p>
{% endif %}
Top paragraph is what they're changing it to (behind a feature flag) and bottom is what it currently is. i.e. they are REMOVING the bit you marked in bold in your quote when the new ToS is active.
So, librewolf?
Too bad there's no android build for librewolf
https://f-droid.org/packages/org.mozilla.fennec_fdroid/
Might be relevant to you, this is what I use!
Woof woof!
It’s wild they would do this since there are forks that are already so good. It won’t take much enshittification for me to drop Firefox altogether.
The forks only keep existing thanks to Mozilla development, they can't actually maintain a browser engine, just tidy up a bit around the edges. If people drop Firefox altogether and it dies, so do the forks. Not saying that it's wrong to do that. But it makes me worried for the future.
Example? I'm already using Mull on my phone. What should I be using on desktop?
Hey, just so you know, Mull development alongside DivestOS development has been halted indefinitely like a month or two ago.
I switched from Mull to Ironfox not too long ago. You can add their repository to your F-Droid client and get the fork and its updates from there.
LibreWolf and Waterfox are both great for Windows, Linux, or MacOS.
Fennec is worth a try on Android.
the universe is upside f***ing down..............
which is really bad because there isn't any universal up-down..................................
I was thinking about switching to Zen browser recently. Guess that seals the deal.
This is not a good look, but neither is all the entitled outrage it's provoking. Nobody owes us Firefox. It costs money to produce and maintain software, and a web browser is the most complicated software there is. Obviously Mozilla has made mistakes but it's also holding the fort against a complete corporate takeover of the internet. Switching to LibreWolf is a quick fix, it's not a sustainable solution. Volunteers alone will never have the organization or resources to maintain a world-class web browser. We are going to need to help Mozilla find a better way to viability.
If only they would offer the chance to opt out of this against a reasonable subscription fee, I personally would jump at that chance.
I'm already paying money to Mozilla for Firefox Relay but this could make me stop paying altogether. Sucks to be giving them money and still getting screwed.