Firefox Revises Terms of Service After Online Backlash

Mozilla quickly revised the wording of Firefox’s terms of service (ToS) after a recent update sparked backlash from users. The original wording led many to believe the browser – commonly lauded for its strong privacy focus – would collect and use any user data that passed through it at the company’s discretion.

In a blog post published on February 28, Ajit Varma, Firefox’s head of product management, clarified that the controversial language did not reflect any change in Firefox’s data-collection policies. Instead, he said, the update was intended to clarify existing terms.

The language that drew so many negative reactions online was: “When you upload or input information through Firefox, you hereby grant us a nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use that information to help you navigate, experience, and interact with online content as you indicate with your use of Firefox.”

Critics and users alike argued that the language implied that Mozilla had broad rights to handle and distribute personally identifiable information (PII). Some saw this as going against the company’s stated values on privacy and user control over personal data.

In response to the backlash, Mozilla quickly reworded the section: “You give Mozilla the rights necessary to operate Firefox. This includes processing your data as we describe in the Firefox Privacy Notice. It also includes a nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license for the purpose of doing as you request with the content you input in Firefox. This does not give Mozilla any ownership in that content.”

Varma clarified the update referred to how Mozilla leverages user data to operate the browser and does not give Mozilla ownership over that data. Though Firefox shares some information with advertisers, the company claims that it’s stripped of any potential PII.

“Mozilla doesn’t sell data about you (in the way that most people think about “selling data”), and we don’t buy data about you,” Varma wrote.

Firefox’s commitment to privacy has long been a key factor in attracting users. Many consider it a safer alternative to browsers like Google Chrome, especially as Google increases its tracking power through tactics such as digital fingerprinting.