Firefox: Difference between revisions

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This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

=== Removal of custom toolbars (2014) ===

In April 2014, Firefox version 29, codenamed ''Australis'', was released. With it came the first major redesign since version 4 from 2011. The most visible difference were the rounded tabs.<ref>[https://www.trustedreviews.com/opinion/firefox-29-what-s-new-2912074 Firefox 29: What’s new and should you try it? | Trusted Reviews]</ref>

With it, the ability to add custom toolbars with custom shortcut buttons was removed, reportedly due to low usage. This meant shortcut buttons could only be added to the same row as the URL bar, taking space away from it.<ref>[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=948043 948043 - Re-Introduce custom toolbar] (bugzilla.mozilla.org)</ref>

===Mandatory add-on signing (2016)===

In 2015, Mozilla introduced extension signing (add-on signing) to Firefox, meaning the browser would show a warning if the user ran an extension not approved by Mozilla. This was later expanded to block the extension, but the user was able to override it by modifying an <code>about:config</code> property. In 2016, Mozilla took that option away as well. This means Mozilla is able to remotely disable extensions, removing ownership from the end user.

Shortly after extension signing was announced, the user base already responded negatively, stating how this would limit the freedom of power users.<ref>[~~Introducing Extension Signing: A Safer Add-on Experience | Mozilla Add-ons Community Blog~~ https://archive.today/2024.01.22-024009/https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/02/10/extension-signing-safer-experience/]</ref>

Shortly after extension signing was announced, the user base already responded negatively, stating how this would limit the freedom of power users.<ref>[https://archive.today/2024.01.22-024009/https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/02/10/extension-signing-safer-experience/ Introducing Extension Signing: A Safer Add-on Experience | Mozilla Add-ons Community Blog]</ref>

On May 3rd, 2019, a technical issue with Mozilla's add-on signing service forcibly disabled all extensions of every Firefox instance connected to the Internet (excluding older versions that predate add-on signing).

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<ref>[https://digdeeper.club/articles/mozilla.xhtml#historyofcontrol Mozilla - Devil Incarnate - History of anti-control] - Dig Deeper ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260211220133/https://digdeeper.club/articles/mozilla.xhtml Archived])</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/2016.04.20-194222/https://wiki.mozilla.org/Add-ons/Extension_Signing Add-ons/Extension Signing - MozillaWiki (2016-04-20)]</ref>

===Removal of XUL extensions (2017)===

Starting with Firefox 57 "Quantum", released in November 2017, extensions using the XUL/XPCOM format were no longer supported, only those in the WebExtensions format.<ref>[https://techtea.io/articles/2017/firefox-quantum-web-extensions/ Tech Tea - Firefox Quantum and Web Extensions]</ref>

The XUL format was the main format for Firefox extensions up to that point, allowing for a degree of customization of the web browser's appearance and behaviour that extensions in the WebExtensions format do not support, and that set Firefox apart from other web browsers like Chrome and Internet Explorer at that time, such as custom toolbars and multiple rows of tabs. The extension "TabMix Plus", then highly popular, heavily made use of this functionality.<ref>[https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/08/21/the-future-of-developing-firefox-add-ons/ The Future of Developing Firefox Add-ons | Mozilla Add-ons Blog]</ref><ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tab_Mix_Plus Tab Mix Plus - Wikipedia]</ref>

According to a former Mozilla developer, the main reason for removing XUL was that giving extensions that much control over the behaviour of the web browser was a security risk.<ref>[https://yoric.github.io/post/why-did-mozilla-remove-xul-addons/ Why Did Mozilla Remove XUL Add-ons?]</ref>

A fork of Firefox was developed with the aim to maintain support for legacy XUL extensions, WaterFox, but it was discontinued in late 2022 and renamed to "Waterfox Classic". WaterFox versions after then do not suppport legacy extensions.<ref>[https://classic.waterfox.net/ Waterfox Classic]</ref>

===Removal of icons from the main menu (2022)===

Firefox version 89, code named "Proton", brought the first major redesign since version 57 "Quantum". One of the changes were the removal of icons from the text labels in the main menu, leaving text-only labels. As a result, the user has to put more effort into finding the wanted menu option given that they receive less of a clue to work with.<ref>[https://old.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/nsooaf/why_would_you_folks_remove_icons_from_the_menu/ Why would you folks remove icons from the menu? : firefox] - Reddit</ref><ref>[https://old.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/1i3vcbj/how_have_they_still_not_returned_the_menu_icons/ How have they still not returned the menu icons to Firefox Desktop? : firefox]</ref><ref>[https://connect.mozilla.org:443/t5/ideas/bring-back-menu-icons/idi-p/46 Bring back menu icons - Mozilla Connect]</ref>

In comparison, the mobile version of Firefox, as well as the other major web browsers (Edge, Chrome desktop, Chrome mobile) do have icons in their main menus.

===Mozilla introduces TOS to Firefox (''02/27/2025'')===

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 {{Ph-C-Inc}}
 This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
+=== Removal of custom toolbars (2014) ===
+In April 2014, Firefox version 29, codenamed ''Australis'', was released. With it came the first major redesign since version 4 from 2011. The most visible difference were the rounded tabs.<ref>[https://www.trustedreviews.com/opinion/firefox-29-what-s-new-2912074 Firefox 29: What’s new and should you try it? &#x7c; Trusted Reviews]</ref>
+With it, the ability to add custom toolbars with custom shortcut buttons was removed, reportedly due to low usage. This meant shortcut buttons could only be added to the same row as the URL bar, taking space away from it.<ref>[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=948043 948043 - Re-Introduce custom toolbar] (bugzilla.mozilla.org)</ref>
 ===Mandatory add-on signing (2016)===
 In 2015, Mozilla introduced extension signing (add-on signing) to Firefox, meaning the browser would show a warning if the user ran an extension not approved by Mozilla. This was later expanded to block the extension, but the user was able to override it by modifying an <code>about:config</code> property. In 2016, Mozilla took that option away as well. This means Mozilla is able to remotely disable extensions, removing ownership from the end user.
-Shortly after extension signing was announced, the user base already responded negatively, stating how this would limit the freedom of power users.<ref>[Introducing Extension Signing: A Safer Add-on Experience &#x7C; Mozilla Add-ons Community Blog https://archive.today/2024.01.22-024009/https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/02/10/extension-signing-safer-experience/]</ref>
+Shortly after extension signing was announced, the user base already responded negatively, stating how this would limit the freedom of power users.<ref>[https://archive.today/2024.01.22-024009/https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/02/10/extension-signing-safer-experience/ Introducing Extension Signing: A Safer Add-on Experience &#x7C; Mozilla Add-ons Community Blog]</ref>
 On May 3rd, 2019, a technical issue with Mozilla's add-on signing service forcibly disabled all extensions of every Firefox instance connected to the Internet (excluding older versions that predate add-on signing).
@@ Line 38: / Line 43: @@
 <ref>[https://digdeeper.club/articles/mozilla.xhtml#historyofcontrol Mozilla - Devil Incarnate - History of anti-control] - Dig Deeper ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260211220133/https://digdeeper.club/articles/mozilla.xhtml Archived])</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/2016.04.20-194222/https://wiki.mozilla.org/Add-ons/Extension_Signing Add-ons/Extension Signing - MozillaWiki (2016-04-20)]</ref>
+===Removal of XUL extensions (2017)===
+Starting with Firefox 57 "Quantum", released in November 2017, extensions using the XUL/XPCOM format were no longer supported, only those in the WebExtensions format.<ref>[https://techtea.io/articles/2017/firefox-quantum-web-extensions/ Tech Tea - Firefox Quantum and Web Extensions]</ref>
+The XUL format was the main format for Firefox extensions up to that point, allowing for a degree of customization of the web browser's appearance and behaviour that extensions in the WebExtensions format do not support, and that set Firefox apart from other web browsers like Chrome and Internet Explorer at that time, such as custom toolbars and multiple rows of tabs. The extension "TabMix Plus", then highly popular, heavily made use of this functionality.<ref>[https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/08/21/the-future-of-developing-firefox-add-ons/  The Future of Developing Firefox Add-ons &#x7c; Mozilla Add-ons Blog]</ref><ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tab_Mix_Plus Tab Mix Plus - Wikipedia]</ref>
+According to a former Mozilla developer, the main reason for removing XUL was that giving extensions that much control over the behaviour of the web browser was a security risk.<ref>[https://yoric.github.io/post/why-did-mozilla-remove-xul-addons/ Why Did Mozilla Remove XUL Add-ons?]</ref>
+A fork of Firefox was developed with the aim to maintain support for legacy XUL extensions, WaterFox, but it was discontinued in late 2022 and renamed to "Waterfox Classic". WaterFox versions after then  do not suppport legacy extensions.<ref>[https://classic.waterfox.net/ Waterfox Classic]</ref>
+===Removal of icons from the main menu (2022)===
+Firefox version 89, code named "Proton", brought the first major redesign since version 57 "Quantum". One of the changes were the removal of icons from the text labels in the main menu, leaving text-only labels. As a result, the user has to put more effort into finding the wanted menu option given that they receive less of a clue to work with.<ref>[https://old.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/nsooaf/why_would_you_folks_remove_icons_from_the_menu/ Why would you folks remove icons from the menu? : firefox] - Reddit</ref><ref>[https://old.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/1i3vcbj/how_have_they_still_not_returned_the_menu_icons/ How have they still not returned the menu icons to Firefox Desktop? : firefox]</ref><ref>[https://connect.mozilla.org:443/t5/ideas/bring-back-menu-icons/idi-p/46 Bring back menu icons - Mozilla Connect]</ref>
+In comparison, the mobile version of Firefox, as well as the other major web browsers (Edge, Chrome desktop, Chrome mobile) do have icons in their main menus.
 ===Mozilla introduces TOS to Firefox (''02/27/2025'')===