Currently, Google pays Firefox’s bill by having them set their default search engine to Google.

This will no longer be when Chrome is in the hands of another party. DOJ is currently advocating for this forced sellout.

So will Firefox be no more after that?

  • Godort@lemm.ee
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    1 month ago

    Google search is not the same thing as google Chrome. Search still sees a benefit in paying to be the default search provider in Firefox.

    • mkwt@lemmy.world
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      Part of the DOJ ask is that the Google search business should be enjoined from paying for preferential default status on other platforms.

      They want to prohibit the Firefox arrangement as part of the anti trust matter.

      • Squizzy@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Which is justified in all fairness, firefox is too dependent on monopoly for support to be competitive going forward

        • A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Google literally only pays firefox so it can point at firefox and go “Look, see, not anti-competitive/monopoly!”

    • dysprosium@lemmy.dbzer0.comOP
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      1 month ago

      The main reason of Google’s financing is probably because they don’t want to be accused of a browser monopoly. So this will stop, leaving Firefox with very little income.

      I’m not sure if the reason you said is enough for them to keep paying.

      Google search is not the same thing as google Chrome

      I never said that

      • ElPussyKangaroo@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Google pays Firefox to have Google Search as the default search engine. Chrome is not the major money maker. It doesn’t even earn any money.

        • halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          It doesn’t even earn any money.

          Neither do the rotisserie chickens at the store. Or Costco’s $1.50 hot dog and soda combo.

          Chrome isn’t intended to make money, it’s a loss leader.

          • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            It’s a side point, but the costco hotdogs do absolutely turn a profit. $1.50 seems unreasonably low because of how much we’re used to paying for food these days, but its hotdogs and a fountain drink, the cost of ingredients is next to nothing.

        • atro_city@fedia.io
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          1 month ago

          You’re missing the point as to why Google is paying Firefox and @dysprosium said it

          The main reason of Google’s financing is probably because they don’t want to be accused of a browser monopoly

          Chrome is there to collect data in order to target adds, sell them, and show them. It’s a vehicle.

  • Chainweasel@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    The opposite. Google won’t be able to leverage chrome to drive website design and Internet policy anymore and it’ll give smaller companies an opportunity to get a better foothold in the market. That’s the whole point in breaking them off from Google in the first place.

    • PlexSheep@infosec.pub
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      1 month ago

      Well, depends on who buys it and what happens to Chromium, the open source thing that is not chrome.

  • JackbyDev@programming.dev
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    1 month ago

    Currently, Google pays Firefox’s bill by having them set their default search engine to Google.

    This will no longer be when Chrome is in the hands of another party. DOJ is currently advocating for this forced sellout.

    Why does Alphabet not controlling Chrome mean Alphabet would suddenly stop paying Mozilla to make Google Search the default search in Firefox? That’s totally unrelated.

    (Saying Alphabet instead of Google to help differentiate between Google and its products.)

  • Endymion_Mallorn@kbin.melroy.org
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    1 month ago

    Quite the opposite. The death of Mozilla Corp will drive the community to greater heights. I expect to see Floorp, Librefox, and even Basilisk/Pale Moon having a voice in the conversation of post-MozCo Firefox.

    • The Snark Urge@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      I’ve got to say, Librewolf has been a breath of fresh air. It even is compatible with Firefox sync with a little poking around.

      • CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        I switched to it some time ago. Took a while to find all the dials to turn to get some (trusted) sites to work, but the fact that it’s free of telemetry and has Ublock makes it worth it.

    • deafboy@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      You know what awaits us at greater heights? The state sponsored APT groups and ransomware operators.

      I just can’t see how cutting the funding for both chrome and firefox is going to make the web a better place.

      • orcrist@lemm.ee
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        1 month ago

        Chrome funding would shift, not necessarily stop. And having a dirty source of funds as your primary source is fundamental corruption. Even if works now, the future is bleak.

      • deafboy@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        The community has always been free to step in. How is the end of Mozilla corp going to help?

        • atro_city@fedia.io
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          1 month ago

          Because the money flows to them and where money flows does attention and thus contributors.

  • jaycifer@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Even if Google stopped paying Mozilla, the organization has enough in savings to operate for several years. That’s plenty of time to cut back on spending and find other revenue sources. My only concern would be that they cut back on Firefox development rather than what I would consider a side project.

    • douglasg14b@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      The majority cost of Firefox is engineering.

      Any cutbacks will negatively affect the ability for Firefox to keep up and will probably start a slow decline towards collapse and irrelevance.

  • OsrsNeedsF2P
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    1 month ago

    It probably won’t die in the next decade…

    But also Internet standards are only getting more complicated… Eventually there will be no browsers left, and we’ll have shifted to an app-only paradigm. Isn’t that exciting.

  • sexy_peach@feddit.org
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    1 month ago

    FFs user base is at a bad place already. I suspect it will live, maybe have some healthy shrinkage in the feature set