Articles about Mozilla

Just weeks after relaunching Mozilla Labs, the Firefox maker has announced that the browser's Test Pilot program is closing down. The move comes as Mozilla says it is "evolving Firefox's culture of experimentation".

The Test Pilot Program has been a beta testing ground for numerous Firefox features including Containers, Activity Stream and Firefox Monitor. But while this particular program is going away -- and with very little notice -- Mozilla says that experimentation will continue, and promises that experimental features will not be disabled for those who are currently using them.

Continue reading →

The popularity of software betas and the Windows Insider program show that people are keen to get their hands on things earlier. There is a certain delight in tinkering with experimental tools, utilities and apps, and if this is the sort of thing that excites you, you'll be pleased to hear that Mozilla has brought Mozilla Labs back from the dead with a new site.

Not seen for a number of years, Mozilla Labs used to be home to experimental Firefox projects. Now, the relaunched version is home to more, including Project Things, Spoke, Hubs and more -- Firefox is no longer the sole focus.

Continue reading →

If a website suffers a security breach you may well decide that you want to give it a wide berth. The problem is that it is impossible for individuals to keep track of all of the breaches that take place, and Mozilla wants to help out.

After teaming up with Have I Been Pwned recently, Mozilla created Firefox Monitor to help inform people about breaches, and this is now expanding to more languages. On top of this, the organization has also now launched Firefox Monitor Notifications that will issue a warning if you visit a site that has been breached.

Continue reading →

Mozilla has announced a partnership with ProtonVPN as it explores new ways to keep people safe online.

Starting today, a select group of Firefox users in the US will see an ad for ProtonVPN encouraging them to take out a monthly subscription with the service. It's an experiment that is part of Mozilla's attempt to explore new revenue streams to help keep Firefox funded.

Continue reading →

As part of a coordinated movement between four of the biggest names in tech, the old TLS 1.0 and 1.1 security protocols are to be killed off in Safari, Edge, Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome in 2020.

Apple, Microsoft, Mozilla and Google have come together to purge the internet of these old and buggy protocols, noting that most people have now moved to TLS 1.2, if not TLS 1.3. Although 94 percent of sites already support version 1.2, a tampering off period over the next 18 months will give everyone a chance to catch up.

Continue reading →

Following the footsteps of Microsoft Edge and Chrome, Firefox is -- at long last -- going to offer support for the delivery of notifications through Windows 10's Action Center.

The move will please many Firefox users as this is a highly-requested feature, and it brings Mozilla's web browser in line with its rivals. While there is no release date for the finished version of Firefox 64, Action Center notification support has already made its way into the nightly builds.

Continue reading →

Mozilla has partnered with Troy Hunt -- the brain behind data compromise checking service Have I Been Pwned -- to create its own data breach notification service. Called Firefox Monitor, the free service lets users check if any of their email accounts or personal data have been involved in data breaches.

More than this, Firefox Monitor can also keep an eye out for future data breaches and notify those who have signed up whether their data has been affected.

Continue reading →

A security researcher has developed an attack that exploits a Firefox bug, making it possible to crash the web browser.

Sabri Haddouche used his Browser Reaper website to share a live test version of the exploit -- the site is also home to exploits for Chrome and Safari. The Firefox attack uses JavaScript to crash or freeze the browser, with the effect of the exploit depending on whether the browser is running on Linux, Windows or macOS.

Continue reading →

Mozilla has announced some of its plans for Firefox, and there's a strong focus on privacy. At an as-yet unspecified point in the "near future" the browser will block all tracking by default, although it is being trialed this month.

In addition to this -- which is a change from the current Do Not Track option -- Firefox will include a new set of options which Mozilla says will give users greater control over the information they share with websites. As well as helping to improve privacy, Mozilla is also hoping to improve the performance of its web browser with a new set of controls that it says will empower users and give them a voice.

Continue reading →

Mozilla is looking to change the design of the Firefox logo and it is seeking help -- which is just as well, because the designs it has come up with so far are awful.

The company says that it is looking to "evolve the Firefox brand" as it develops new apps and services beyond the browser it is currently associated with. The aim is to come up with a new branding system that can "embrace all of the Firefox products in the pipeline and those still in the minds of our Emerging Technologies group", and it wants to know what you think.

Continue reading →

Mozilla has launched a new version of Firefox for iOS, and the big news is that it now has Tracking Protection turned on by default.

It comes shortly after the feature was added to the desktop version of the web browser, and protection is enabled by default in both regular and private browsing modes. This release also sees the arrival of some great new features in the iPad version, including tab re-ordering, and drag and drop support for links.

Continue reading →

Facebook has been completely inescapable in the news over the last couple of weeks, and there are increasing concerns that the social network is all but inescapable online generally. In the wake of recent privacy concerns about Facebook, Mozilla -- already petitioning for Mark Zuckerberg to do more -- has launched a new extension for Firefox that helps to keep your browsing private.

Called "Facebook Container", the add-on has been designed to make it much harder for Facebook to track your web browsing when you're not using the social network.

Continue reading →

Ads may be central to the running of the web, but that doesn't mean people want to see them. Ad blocking is more popular than ever, and it's something that's been noted by Mozilla.

Revealing its 2018 roadmap for Firefox, the company says that an ad blocker is being added to the web browser -- albeit a limited one. On top of this, additional privacy controls are on the cards, as is a tool to block auto playing videos, and a breach alert system.

Continue reading →

Mozilla is not happy with Facebook. Not happy at all. Having already started a petition to try to force the social network to do more about user privacy, the company has now decided to withdraw its advertising from the platform.

The organization is voting with its money following the misuse of user data by Cambridge Analytica, as it tries to force Facebook into taking privacy more seriously.

Continue reading →

In the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica debacle, Facebook has been roundly criticized for not only its handling of the situation, but also its attitude to privacy in general. The criticism comes not only from users, but also politicians and technology firms. The latest company to speak out is Mozilla.

After it was revealed that the personal data of 50 million Facebook users was shared without consent, Mozilla is calling on the social network to ensure that user privacy is protected by default, particularly when it comes to apps.

Continue reading →