Talk about coming to a harsh realization. If you are a Firefox user, you will definitely be interested in what this article has to say. While Firefox is considered a ‘more secure’ and ‘open-source’ alternative to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Google has quite a bit of control in the project since it is providing about 85 percent of the funding. The one quote that caught my attention the most in the article is this:

“The close relationship between Google and Mozilla leads to a number of serious conflicts of interest. The end result is that users’ online privacy and security take a backseat to the protection of Google’s revenue streams,” Soghoian wrote at CNet.”

Just by reading the article, you can definitely realize that Firefox could be much more secure than it currently is. The question is, will Google allow it?

Two aspects of Mozilla’s close ties with Google over development of the Firefox browser have Chris Soghoian concerned about a conflict of interest in play.

People who adopt Firefox as a replacement for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer think they are turning aside a monopolist in favor of a more secure and open browsing alternative. It may not be as open as we think.

I missed a little bit of semantic nuance back in May, when Mozilla’s Asa Dotzler commented on my speculation that Mozilla could be pressured via Google by a company like Verizon. As Asa commented, and I’ve emphasized in bold:

Can Google (or any one, for that matter) effectively pressure Mozilla to change course on a Mozilla Labs project that they’re not directly involved with? Absolutely not.

Now look at the context Soghoian brings to the Mozilla and Google topic, and how Dotzler’s choice of words appear to fit five months later.

“The close relationship between Google and Mozilla leads to a number of serious conflicts of interest. The end result is that users’ online privacy and security take a backseat to the protection of Google’s revenue streams,” Soghoian wrote at CNet.

One conflict of interest comes in the form of ad blocking, the other in phishing toolbars. Soghoian wondered why Firefox’s developers haven’t integrated two of the most popular add-ons for the browser, AdBlock Plus (and the Filterset G Updater), and CustomizeGoogle.[more]

Tags: Privacy