Mozilla has introduced new Terms of Use and updated Privacy Notice for its Firefox web browser, sparking controversy over the clarity of data collection practices. Critics argue that the terms appear to grant the company broad rights to user data, including uploaded or input information.
The company claims the changes aim to provide users with more transparency and clearly state what they are agreeing to when using Firefox. Mozilla states it wants to make its data practices easy to read and understand, but critics point to vague language that gives the impression of giving the company ownership of user data.
Brendan Eich, co-founder and CEO of Brave Software, responded by suggesting that Mozilla’s wording might be related to a business pivot to monetize data for AI and advertising purposes. However, Mozilla has clarified that its Privacy Notice still applies when using AI features, and data shared with advertisers is de-identified.
Brandon Borrman, Mozilla’s VP of Communications, said the changes are not driven by a desire to use user data for AI or sell it to advertisers. Instead, users grant permission to use their data based on how they indicate its use in Firefox. Users can opt out of having their data processed for advertising purposes by turning off a setting.
The new terms have raised concerns over Mozilla’s willingness to collect and share user data. With a 2.54% market share, the controversy may harm Firefox’s position in the browser market, which is dominated by Chrome (67%), Safari (17.95%), and Edge (5.2%).
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/28/mozilla-responds-to-backlash-over-new-terms-saying-its-not-using-peoples-data-for-ai