Mozilla Revises Firefox Terms Again Following Backlash Over Data License Wording

Mozilla, the maker of the Firefox browser, updated its Terms of Use for the second time in a week on Friday following criticism over language that seemingly granted the company rights to all user-uploaded information.

The latest revision clarifies:

“You give Mozilla the rights necessary to operate Firefox. This includes processing your data as described 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 of that content.”

A prior version of this clause, which took effect on February 26, stated:

“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 update follows Mozilla’s introduction of a Terms of Use for Firefox for the first time, alongside an updated Privacy Notice intended to enhance transparency around data practices.

Mozilla’s VP of Product, Ajit Varma, acknowledged the concerns raised by the community. “Our intent was to be as clear as possible about how we make Firefox work, but in doing so, we created some confusion and concern,” he said.

The company emphasized that it does not sell or purchase user data but revised its terms to account for varying legal definitions of “sell,” which in some jurisdictions include any transfer of personal information in exchange for monetary or other benefits.

Additionally, Mozilla clarified that while it shares some data with partners from optional ads on the New Tab page and sponsored search suggestions to remain financially sustainable, it ensures such data is stripped of identifying information, aggregated, or processed using privacy-preserving technologies like Oblivious HTTP (OHTTP).

Regarding AI chatbot integrations in Firefox’s sidebar, Mozilla stated that while it does not access user conversations, it collects technical and interaction data—such as chatbot selection frequency, usage of suggested prompts, and selected text length—to improve the feature.

The backlash against Mozilla’s Terms of Use comes amid growing scrutiny of privacy policies, particularly in response to Google’s new ad tracking rules.

Google’s Ads Platforms Program Policies, which took effect on February 16, 2025, permit the use of IP addresses for fingerprinting users across platforms without requiring re-identification. The U.K.’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) condemned the move as “irresponsible,” warning that organizations using such techniques must ensure compliance with data protection laws, including transparency, user consent, and the right to erasure.