Mozilla responded to user replies to the new Firefox Web Browser terms and conditions. This has been voiced by browser makers to use an overly wide range of languages that appear to provide rights to input or uploaded data. The company intends to formalize its relationship with users by clearly stating that the new term is not a change in the way Mozilla uses data, but rather by formalizing its relationship with users when they use Firefox.
On Wednesday, browser makers hope to introduce new Firefox terms of use and updated privacy notices, providing users with the rights and permissions for the agreement, and provide a more detailed explanation of data practices.
“We tried to understand these things easily and readably. We shouldn’t be surprised at how we operate and how our products work,” the company’s blog post said.
However, there was confusion about this. In fact, the company had to update its blog post to state that its terms do not grant the right to use beyond what is stated in the Mozilla ownership of user data or the privacy notice.
Users who read the new term were upset by the change and used Mozilla to refer to a vague and seemingly comprehensive language (our emphasis): “Uploading or entering information via Firefox gives it a non-exclusive, royalty-free, global license that will help you use that information to use your content online.
As many critics have pointed out, this statement appears to be rather broad.
Brendan Eich, co-founder and CEO of rival browser maker Brave Software, responded to Mozilla’s latest terminology by writing “WTF” and “WTF” in X’s post. He also suggested that Mozilla’s language is related to business pivots that allow Firefox to monetize by providing data for AI and other uses.
TechCrunch has now asked Mozilla to clarify whether the terminology indicates that user data is being provided to AI companies or advertisers. The company says privacy notices are still applied when using AI features and that content data will not be sent to Mozilla or elsewhere. It also states that data shared with the advertiser has been resigned.
“These changes are not driven by Mozilla’s desire to use people’s data for AI or sell to advertisers,” Brandon Bolman, Mozilla’s assistant communications company, said in an email to TechCrunch. “As mentioned in terms of usage, we ask users for permission to use data to operate Firefox, meaning that our ability to use data is still limited by what we disclose in our privacy notice.”
According to the Privacy Notice, Firefox may collect technical and interaction data regarding how it uses AI chatbots.
A spokesman told TechCrunch that if users choose to use Firefox and third-party AI chatbots, the third-party will process the data according to its own policies. Other AI features in Firefox run locally on your device, the spokesman said, “Please do not send content data to Mozilla or elsewhere.”
Mozilla also explained that it is selling ads on Firefox as part of how it works with advertisers and how it funds the development of the browser.
“Building advertising products that provide privacy that improves best practices across the industry is part of Mozilla’s focus,” the spokesman said. “If you serve ads on a Firefox surface (such as a new tab page), we will only collect and share the data mentioned in the Privacy Notice.
The company said users can opt out of processing data for advertising purposes by turning off settings related to “technical and interaction data” at any time on both desktop and mobile.
Mozilla also further clarified why she used the specific term, saying that the term “non-existence” was used to indicate that Mozilla did not want an exclusive license for user data.
“Royalty Free” was used because Firefox is free and neither Mozilla nor users should borrow money from each other in exchange for processing data to provide a browser. Firefox is available worldwide and “Worldwide” was used to provide global internet access.
Despite Mozilla’s assurance that the new policy has not changed the way Mozilla uses data, people will continue to question why the term uses such a wide range of languages. As a result, some people shift their browser usage elsewhere.
That could be bad news for Firefox. Its browser has only a 2.54% share of the global browser market and appears behind Chrome (67%), Safari (17.95%) and Edge (5.2%).
Updated after publication to accurately attribute the statement to Mozilla’s vice president, Comms Brandon Borrman.