Firefox's Terms of Service Surprise

Description

A screenshot of a legal text from Mozilla's terms of service. The heading in bold black font reads, 'You Give Mozilla Certain Rights and Permissions'. Below this, a paragraph details these permissions, with a key section highlighted in yellow. The highlighted text states, 'When you upload or input information through Firefox, you hereby grant us a nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use that information...'. This image serves as a meme by highlighting the often-overlooked and far-reaching clauses in software terms of service. For developers and tech-savvy users, it's a cynical reminder that 'free' services often come at the cost of data privacy, with users legally granting broad licenses to their own information without realizing it. The humor is dry, stemming from the stark, legalistic language that contrasts with the user's everyday experience of simply browsing the web

Common Tags

DataPrivacy PrivacyConcerns Privacy Gdpr

Comments

Anonymous ★ Top Pick We spend weeks debating the right license for a 10-line open-source library, but click 'I Agree' on a 10,000-word EULA in 0.2 seconds to get our browser update

Anonymous ★ Top Pick

We spend weeks debating the right license for a 10-line open-source library, but click 'I Agree' on a 10,000-word EULA in 0.2 seconds to get our browser update
Anonymous

Firefox just claimed a royalty-free, worldwide license to everything I type - great, now my 3 AM outage post-mortems are officially open-source training data for their “Stack Overflow But With Your Secrets” model
Anonymous

We spent years fighting IE's monopoly just to end up granting every browser vendor a "nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license" to our localhost:3000 typos and accidentally pasted API keys
Anonymous

Ah yes, the classic 'royalty-free, worldwide license' buried in a privacy notice - because nothing says 'we respect your privacy' quite like asking for perpetual rights to everything you type into our browser. It's the legal equivalent of 'trust me bro,' but with more lawyers and fewer GitHub stars. At least they highlighted it in yellow, so you can't say they didn't warn you before you clicked 'I agree' without reading
Anonymous

Firefox legal: “By typing, you grant us a nonexclusive, royalty‑free, worldwide license.” Cool - my keystrokes now have a clearer IP strategy than half our deps and better global rollout than our CD pipeline
Anonymous

Firefox: Open-source browser where your privacy notice ships with Mozilla's data-harvesting hooks pre-installed
Anonymous

Nothing says “privacy-first” like a ToS granting your browser a nonexclusive, royalty‑free, worldwide license to whatever you type; my DPIA just turned into a P0
@Agent1378 1y

Probably just try to comply with GPDR
1. @gmayv 1y
  
  No. Thats data exfil to train some garbage AI
@Valithor 1y

I love how it stops highlighting right before it gets to the part where it tells you what it's used for, like "stop reading where it's convenient for our narrative"
1. @mira_the_cat 1y
  
  evil methods used for "good" things are still evil
  
  @Valithor 1y
  
  "By using our browser, you give us permission to use your inputs with our browser so you can browse the net." Please explain to me how this is evil.
  
  @M4lenov 1y
  
  To help you do that, not so you're able to. Which means they collect these inputs and no, a browser client process doesn't have to send any inputs to Mozilla servers to function properly, it is not required
  
  @qtsmolcat 1y
  
  Where, pray tell, in that statement, does it say sending to "servers owned or operated by Mozilla or it's affiliate(s)"
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  this isn't about sending to mozilla, it's about 3rd parties and guess what a website is? a third party. well done
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  it literally just says "if you want to upload data, our program will use that data to upload it for you"
2. dev_meme 1y
  
  Sorry, but not sorry Whatever is written in intentions there doesn’t matter at all, because in reality data will be simply sold. Because, you know, earning money for Mozilla helps end user!
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  as if chrome doesn't do the same
  
  dev_meme 1y
  
  1. Google doesn’t sell you data. They use it themselves for all kinds of fuckery 🌚 2. Main reason a lot of people used FF is to stay away from those practices
  
  @sylfn 1y
  
  as if it is better...
  
  dev_meme 1y
  
  You and @RiedleroD understand that "Bad guys do it too" is a weak reasoning, right? 🌚
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  weak reasoning if this anti-mozilla bullshit didn't drive people to use chrome all the time
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  I'm so tired of obvious chrome marketing dividing privacy-aware users
  
  dev_meme 1y
  
  The thing is that Mozilla wasn’t privacy caring company for years
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  no company is privacy caring. not a single one. if you think there is one, you're delusional. the mozilla-nonprofit is probably still fine, but the profit-driven company is obviously just as evil as any other corp
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  the difference is that if google chrome wins, the web is fucked. they already have way too much control over web standards, and if firefox actually dies at one point, there'll be zero resistance, and people will just have to follow suit with whatever google says. safari and individual khtml-based browsers don't matter, nor do forks. mozilla is already struggling to keep google from bloating the standards with new bullshit to keep new browsers from achieving usability. Apple already doesn't really care about keeping up with the standards. if google wins, it'll be worse than the IE era. and it'll be incredibly hard to get back to normal. just believe a poor webdev for once and keep using firefox
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  tip: you can disable telemetry in FF and use it without an account. they won't sell your data if they have none
  
  @sylfn 1y
  
  it just means Mozilla is slowly becoming a bad guy too
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  it's more like having to decide between lex luthor co. and some guy with a relatively ok track record who has to pickpocket to survive for a few years because lex luthor co. is driving him out of business
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  as if it's true! I mean, c'mon, believing google doesn't sell your data is basically believing in santa clause
  
  dev_meme 1y
  
  If anything, Google buys your data
  
  @qtsmolcat 1y
  
  Kind of honestly
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  also, I believe mozilla didn't have any problems with violating the GDPR yet. unlike google
@Valithor 1y

Like MAYBE if there was actually something in the Privacy Notice, but this is a nothingburger.
1. @EmberFox 1y
  
  Agree, also your avatar is cute
2. @TERASKULL 1y
  
  at most this is probably a legal safety net so they don't get sued
  
  @eescarez 1y
  
  Is mostly a "if you tell Firefox to send data after clicking "Submit" you give the right to send that data to the destination" in legal language. On social media that means "if you send a message or a photo, you are giving us a permission to store and share that message/photo on whatever means we have". It is just that legal language is often very complex to explain simple things.
  
  @TERASKULL 1y
  
  yea, makes sense. like people being afraid of the word "dihydrogen monoxide" when it's just water
  
  @qtsmolcat 1y
  
  Now dioxide, that shit kills
  
  @TERASKULL 1y
  
  can't spell "dioxide" without "die"👍
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  O₂ - ha!
  
  @qtsmolcat 1y
  
  O2 when O3 walks in: 🤯
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  ozone, the devil incarnate… I will never forgive O₃ for obliterating my perf and attacking my UB
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  (gcc joke, to be clear xD)
  
  @qtsmolcat 1y
  
  Clang >>
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  perish the thought /j
  
  @qtsmolcat 1y
  
  Fine, TinyCC
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  I have no opinion on tinyCC tbh
  
  @qtsmolcat 1y
  
  Tl;Dr it literally turns C/++ into a binary. Zero optimization, zero tricks, gives no fucks about performance or error checking or anything
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  TCC is heading torward full ISOC99 compliance. …it doesn't even support full C99 yet?
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  …the website is outdated, nevermind
  
  @qtsmolcat 1y
  
  No idea never seriously used it
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  after some scouring, it seems that after 7 years of development, they still don't fully support C99 at least that's what their current documentation says: TCC not only supports ANSI C, but also most of the new ISO C99 standard and many GNUC extensions including inline assembly. This doesn't seem to be a serious C compiler, rather more of a hobby project
  
  @qtsmolcat 1y
  
  Ofc
  
  @echedelle 1y
  
  Ofront+ supports being built on TCC
  
  @chupasaurus 1y
  
  Originally it was made for International Obfuscated C Code Contest with a footprint of 3KiB.
3. @desrevereman 1y
  
  "to help you navigate, experience, and interact" is a nothingburger, just a generic marketing bullshit which hides real intentions. Although this whole abstract is corpo-speak which really says nothing, but gives off bad vibes.
  
  @Valithor 1y
  
  That's not how legalese works, so I guess you are the target audience of this "meme"
  
  @desrevereman 1y
  
  Whatever, I don't speak legalese nor do I want to, it's retarded.
@zvyozdniymichal 1y

Try tccboot
1. @qtsmolcat 1y
  
  Heard of
@zvyozdniymichal 1y

Literally compiles your entire linux kernel with tinyCC on boot
1. @RiedleroD 1y
  
  what the fuck
@Valithor 1y

Can't believe there's a dude out here using the word retarded unironically in 2025, all while referring to how they're too uneducated to care about having reasons for having their own opinions. Please touch grass.
@Valithor 1y

Actual misinformation, I just took this screenshot from their live repo. Verbatim: "we don't sell access to your data"
@Valithor 1y

There's also a difference between their terms of use and their privacy policy. There's an if statement there for a reason, it's so that forks of Mozilla can decide whether or not they want to sell your data, it doesn't reflect mozilla's policy as to whether or not they will. They say themselves that this does not give them a license to sell your data.
@RiedleroD 1y

you have no idea how many people do this
@ZgGPuo8dZef58K6hxxGVj3Z2 1y

https://github.com/mozilla/bedrock/commit/d459addab846d8144b61939b7f4310eb80c5470e
1. @ZgGPuo8dZef58K6hxxGVj3Z2 1y
  
  Nice work Mozilla
2. @RiedleroD 1y
  
  do we know what firefox-tou means
  
  @ZgGPuo8dZef58K6hxxGVj3Z2 1y
  
  Its a url
  
  @Valithor 1y
  
  Yes and I explained it above, it is their Terms Of Use and not related to their privacy notice.
  
  @hotsadboi 1y
  
  does that mean that they can only sell your data if you break the terms of use?
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  …no?
  
  @Valithor 1y
  
  It means downstream forks can decide if they want to sell your data, they wouldn't need to update both the terms of use and the privacy notice. Separation of concerns.
  
  @Fullerite 1y
  
  A commit regarding the new TOS. I guess they will sell your data anyways
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  that's the FAQ not the ToS
@ZgGPuo8dZef58K6hxxGVj3Z2 1y

Fuck you
@polyduekes 1y

i mean it's not bad that they don't sell data if you don't agree to tou
1. @Valithor 1y
  
  Still has absolutely nothing to do with the terms of use. Whether or not they sell your data is outlined in the privacy notice, and that has not changed, and they said it will not change.
@Valithor 1y

The privacy notice is a legal document. You can't just make up intentions behind words without defining them in the document.
@AmindaEU 1y

https://adguard.com/en/blog/mozilla-deletes-promise-to-never-sell-your-data.html
1. @RiedleroD 1y
  
  skimmed the article. 90% of it is just unnecessary fluff and the other 10% says that we don't know jack yet before they actually start changing concrete things
  
  @SheepGod 1y
  
  So typical attention grabbing titles n pic
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  myea, pretty much
  
  @ZgGPuo8dZef58K6hxxGVj3Z2 1y
  
  What did you expect with that AI cover?😭
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  benefit of the doubt ig
  
  @ZgGPuo8dZef58K6hxxGVj3Z2 1y
  
  This is the internet 😭
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  aminda sent it without comment, I thought it might be interesting idk
  
  @ZgGPuo8dZef58K6hxxGVj3Z2 1y
  
  I mean it was but the way you said it "fluff" perfect description
  
  @AmindaEU 1y
  
  I thought it was a good summary for the uninitiated while not saying anything new to anyone following it, but I did fail to say that in the message
  
  @RiedleroD 1y
  
  I see
dev_meme 1y

omg Firefox in 2025

Use J and K for navigation

Firefox's Terms of Service Surprise

Description

Categories

Common Tags

Comments

More like this

The Cyberpunk Dystopia Has Reached Production

The Verification Data Breach Loop

Class Action Alleges ChatGPT Disclosed User Queries to Meta and Google