The terms faced criticism for seeming to grant Mozilla extensive ownership of user data, prompting the company to clarify its limited data usage.
Mozilla is modifying its newly introduced Firefox Terms of Use after backlash regarding language that suggested broad ownership of user data. In a recent post, the company stated, “we’re updating the language to better reflect the limited ways Mozilla interacts with user data.”
The specific phrasing that raised concerns 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.”
This language has now been replaced. The updated terms state:
“You give Mozilla the rights necessary to operate Firefox. This includes processing your data as outlined in the Firefox Privacy Notice. It also includes a nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use the content you input in Firefox as requested. This does not grant Mozilla ownership of that content.”
The company acknowledged community feedback regarding the licensing language, stating, “Our intent was to clarify how Firefox operates, but we unintentionally caused some confusion and concern.”
Additionally, the post explains why Mozilla has moved away from broad claims like “We never sell your data.” The company noted that the legal definition of “sale of data” is evolving and varies by jurisdiction, leaving many businesses unclear about their obligations.
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Mozilla also mentioned that it collects and shares some data with partners to ensure Firefox’s commercial viability, but emphasizes that such practices are detailed in its privacy notice, with efforts to anonymize or aggregate shared data.
This update follows an enhancement to the original announcement made earlier in the week to provide further clarification.
SOURCE: THE VERGE
