Last Wednesday, Mozilla revealed a new Terms of Use and Privacy Notice regarding Firefox. However, the wording of the Terms of Use appears to suggest that by agreeing to use its services, the company had exclusive rights to all the information that users processed through its web browser. However, in an effort to respond to the criticism that followed the introduction of this update, Mozilla has now made some adjustments and offered explanations, which it believes will shed more light on the issue at hand.
This language likely rattled many users forcing Mozilla to make some revisions. Ajit Varma, Vice president of products at Mozilla, issued a statement on Friday to clarify the issues surrounding the Terms of Use and the Privacy Notice. He stated that while the company aims to be fully transparent with how users’ data are handled, its language generated worry and confusion among users.
The revision now contains some expressions that are targeted at addressing user concerns. For instance, it mentions that the license granted to Mozilla to use content provided by users will be subject to the consent given by users. It further stresses that granting this license to Mozilla does not equate to ceding ownership of users’ content to the company.
However, while the Terms of Use was revised, the update on the Privacy Notice FAQ was not similarly adjusted. For instance, while the previous FAQ showed that Firefox does not sell user data, it is missing in the updated one.
In explaining the reason for the omission, Varma noted that the company cannot guarantee that a user’s data will not be sold, not because the company wants to buy or sell user data to their detriment, but because of how the term “selling of data” is viewed. He states that the legal definition of the “sale of data” varies across US states and is broader than what users may generally consider it to be.
Varma adds that to ensure that Mozilla remains in business, it sometimes collects and shares user data with partners through the “optional ads on New Tab and providing sponsored suggestions in the search bar.” He further revealed that while this is done, measures have been implemented to ensure that the company shares the data in a way that doesn’t reveal specific information about any user.
The constant worry about privacy is not unique to Mozilla. Google’s latest ad tracking policy and its use of Captcha have recently elicited similar concerns. Hence, this incident serves to further highlight the growing issues with privacy in general. By being alert to the constant changes that businesses make on their platforms, users can quickly spot potential issues and seek redress where necessary.
Top Image, credit: Mozilla