It’s strange to me that one of the most popular requests on Mozilla Connect is Startpage as a default search engine, but Mozilla opted for Ecosia.

I have nothing against Ecosia in theory, but it’s notable that the company will only plant trees based on clicked advertisements, and the privacy policy isn’t quite as great as Mozilla has suggested in its promotional material.

Thank goodness data collection companies would never sell or share data with each other

So we agree Mozilla only chose to promote Big Tech options.

The built-in AI staff [sic]… is… an accelerator to integrate with 3rd-party or self-hosted LLMs.

Users are only shown Big Tech “3rd-party” options. Mozilla made this choice intentionally.

Since Mozilla is clearly capable of developing an add-on that is not forcefully installed on user’s devices, they should remove the built-in thing that endorses the highly unethical chatbots run by Google, OpenAI, etc.

I appreciate the option to not install it.

Now if only Mozilla could migrate their built-in AI stuff to this optional extension so it doesn’t come pre-installed, that’d be great

Technically it’s a server operated by Google, leased by Mozilla. Mistral 7b could technically work locally, if Mozilla cared about doing such a thing.

I guess you can basically use the built-in AI chatbot functionality Mozilla rushed out the door, enable a secret setting, and use Mistral locally, but what a missed opportunity from the Privacy Browser Company

“Ecosia Chat is powered by OpenAI”

ffs

Whether you prioritize privacy*, climate protection, or simply want a search experience tailored to your preferences, we’ve got you covered.

Ecosia goes beyond data protection by addressing environmental concerns…

Together, Mozilla, Firefox and Ecosia are contributing to a web that is more open and inclusive, but above all — one where you can make an informed choice about what tech you use and why. Your tech choices make a difference.

Someone should tell Mozilla about the AI-sized environmental concern in their browser?

* ETA: Ecosia doesn’t mention privacy as a feature anywhere on its homepage. (I’m not counting the link to its unimpressive privacy policy.) They call themselves “Google, but greener”, and I believe them.

After reading the article and the spec, it looks like GPC is another header (like DNT) and a JavaScript variable the client would set. I don’t see why this couldn’t be used for tracking too.

For HTTP:

A user agent MUST generate a Sec-GPC header… if… gpcAtNavigation is true.

For JavaScript:

The globalPrivacyControl property is available on the navigator object

GPC also looks like a watered down version of DNT. DNT was “do not track,” and GPC is "do not sell:

GPC is also not intended to limit a first party’s use of personal information within the first-party context (such as a publisher targeting ads to a user on its website based on that user’s previous activity on that same site).

Emphasis mine

Thanks for the link to the privacy policy. You notice, at the bottom, it has links to both “About Mozilla” and “About FakeSpot”?

When you run the Orbit extension, it connects to two domains with every request:

1. orbitbymozilla.com
2. prod.orbit-ml-front-api.fakespot.prod.webservices.mozgcp.net

There’s FakeSpot again.

And FakeSpot has a terrible privacy policy that allows sale of private data directly to advertisers.