Firefox adds a controversial ToS

Hi all, Have others seen these new terms for firefox? discussion on the Debian list. Thoughts? Karen ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2025 23:58:00 +0100 To: debian-user@lists.debian.org Subject: Firefox adds a controversial ToS Resent-Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2025 22:58:30 +0000 (UTC) Resent-From: debian-user@lists.debian.org Is this real? Firefox just introduced the "Terms of Use" document, that includes some really disturbing entries. The Worst Firefox Update Ever https://youtu.be/E4JOnQY_qbo Info from Mozilla: https://blog.mozilla.org/en/products/firefox/firefox-news/firefox-terms-of-u... The "Terms of use" themselves: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/about/legal/terms/firefox/ Excerpt from ToS:
You give Mozilla all rights necessary to operate Firefox, including processing data as we describe in the Firefox Privacy Notice, as well as acting on your behalf to help you navigate the internet. 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.
Nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to our uploaded data? Is this some kind of dystopian EU stuff we're dealing with here? Why suddenly Mozilla felt the need for introducing this (euphemistically speaking) controversial document? What's even worse, is this entry from the second link:
Although we’ve historically relied on our open source license for Firefox and public commitments to you, we are building in a much different technology landscape today. We want to make these commitments abundantly clear and accessible.
What's going on? And most importantly, what is Debian's stance on this? Best regards, AJ

On Sat, 1 Mar 2025 at 19:25, Karen Lewellen via talk <talk@gtalug.org> wrote:
Have others seen these new terms for firefox?
https://www.theverge.com/news/622080/mozilla-revising-firefox-terms-of-use-d... -- Scott

Obsolete now, but... Karen: sorry for not top posting. I think that this is clearer for most others.
From: Karen Lewellen via talk <talk@gtalug.org>
---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2025 23:58:00 +0100 To: debian-user@lists.debian.org Subject: Firefox adds a controversial ToS
Excerpt from ToS:
You give Mozilla all rights necessary to operate Firefox,
"necessary" is a slippery term
including processing data as we describe in the Firefox Privacy Notice,
That's fine.
as well as acting on your behalf to help you navigate the internet.
That seems like an escape hatch for them.
When you upload or input information through Firefox, you hereby grant us a nonexclusive,
Non-exclusive is good for the user. Exclusive would be bad.
royalty-free,
Firefox isn't paying. But it never has.
worldwide license to use that information to help you navigate, experience, and interact with online content as you indicate with your use of Firefox.
All that would be fine if it said "only for these purposes". Otherwise it probably doesn't do anything legally
What's even worse, is this entry from the second link:
Although we’ve historically relied on our open source license for Firefox and public commitments to you, we are building in a much different technology landscape today. We want to make these commitments abundantly clear and accessible.
What's going on? And most importantly, what is Debian's stance on this?
They are probably trying to make explicit what they have always done.
participants (3)
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D. Hugh Redelmeier
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Karen Lewellen
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Scott Allen