this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2025
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Mozilla is already revising its new Firefox terms to clarify how it handles user data (www.theverge.com)
submitted 4 days ago by Xatolos@reddthat.com to c/technology@lemmy.world
179 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

AI Summary:

Overview:

  • Mozilla is updating its new Terms of Use for Firefox due to criticism over unclear language about user data.
  • Original terms seemed to give Mozilla broad ownership of user data, causing concern.
  • Updated terms emphasize limited scope of data interaction, stating Mozilla only needs rights necessary to operate Firefox.
  • Mozilla acknowledges confusion and aims to clarify their intent to make Firefox work without owning user content.
  • Company explains they don't make blanket claims of "never selling data" due to evolving legal definitions and obligations.
  • Mozilla collects and shares some data with partners to keep Firefox commercially viable, but ensures data is anonymized or shared in aggregate.
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[–] verdigris@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

What do you think a browser does?

[–] Don_alForno@feddit.org 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The browser manufacturer doesn't need a license to my inputs to process them and give them to the server it's supposed to give them to. If you type a text in Libre office, does it ask you for a license to the text in order to save it?

[–] verdigris@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 hour ago

No, but that's a local program processing and saving data entirely on your system. It's a world of difference from what a web browser does, which is oversee a whole suite of protocols connecting you to remote servers and transmitting data back and forth in requests that build on and reference each other. With the complexity of modern web interactions, there's a ton of reasons why a browser might need to store your data and share it with others, even ignoring profit-seeking motives.

And let's remember that the last thing Mozilla got heat for was the introduction of a method to anonymize bulk user data for sharing & selling purposes, as opposed to the granular, extremely invasive tracking that 99% of websites are doing these days.

I see a company that needs to make a decent amount of money in a crazy competitive environment, that's trying their best to do so in the way least destructive to user privacy and choice.