Mozilla, the non-profit behind the Firefox web browser, has revised its new Terms of Use following backlash from users over data ownership rights and licensing. Last week, Mozilla introduced new Terms of Use for Firefox with language that appeared to give the organisation broad ownership of user data. “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,” the initial version of the Terms of Use read, drawing criticism from users on social media. Now, this clause has been removed and replaced with additional context about why Mozilla has “stepped away from making blanket claims that ‘We never sell your data.’” “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,” the updated Terms of Use now reads. According to Mozilla, the legal definition of ‘sale of data' is broad and evolving. Many companies lack clarity on whether or not they could be considered to be ‘selling data', it said. “We’ve been listening to some of our community’s concerns with parts of the TOU, specifically about licensing. [.] Our intent was just to be as clear as possible about how we make Firefox work, but in doing so we also created some confusion and concern,” Mozilla said in a blog post on Friday, February 28. Mozilla Firefox is positioned as a secure browser alternative to Google Search, with the non-profit entity making efforts to bolster users’ privacy rights by preventing cross-site tracking, siloing cookies, etc. For Firefox to be commercially viable, Mozilla has said that it collects and shares some user data with its partners. It also strips user data of potentially identifying information or shares it in aggregate form, as per the organisation. More details are spelt out in its privacy notice.
