Mozilla says stricter antitrust measures against Google 'threaten Firefox'

Mozilla, the developer of Firefox, has warned that it whitethorn beryllium forced to exit the browser marketplace if it is nary longer allowed to person payments from Google for offering its hunt engine.

According to Mozilla, a prohibition connected these payments could lead the institution and different independent browser developers to retreat from the market. This would mean the disappearance of an important supplier of hunt services. Mozilla argues that users would thereby suffer a browser that pays a awesome woody of attraction to privateness and security, while ample exertion companies would successful truth summation much powerfulness complete the Internet.

Mozilla sets this retired successful an amicus curiae little that was revenge successful caller days pinch the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

The lawsuit dates backmost to 2020. The US Department of Justice and a group of states accused Google astatine the clip of having violated title rule by making arrangements that made Google the default hunt motor in, among different things, Apple’s Safari, Mozilla’s Firefox and Android.

In 2024, aft a trial, Judge Amit Mehta of the national tribunal successful Washington ruled that Google had unlawfully maintained its monopoly successful 2 markets: wide hunt services and matter ads linked to hunt queries.

In September 2025, Mehta imposed measures that, for six years, prohibit Google from entering into exclusive distribution agreements for Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant and the Gemini app. However, the ruling does let Google to proceed paying Apple, Mozilla and different distributors of hunt engines.

According to Mehta, a prohibition connected those payments would person awesome consequences for these companies and for the markets successful which they operate.

He stated that specified a prohibition could lead distributors to proceed offering Google arsenic the default hunt motor without receiving immoderate income for it. Another anticipation would beryllium to reason agreements pinch what he considers lower-quality hunt engines, truthful that they still person payments.

US national and authorities title authorities precocious asked the tribunal of appeals to overturn the portion of Mehta’s ruling that permits these payments.

Mozilla counters that Mehta’s determination connected the payments is supported by the disposable evidence. Among different things, the institution refers to its ain research, which suggests that Mozilla’s revenues would autumn sharply if it had to switch Google pinch Bing arsenic the default hunt motor successful Firefox.

Mozilla stresses that pinch its little it is not supporting either statement successful the broader lawsuit. The institution is truthful not taking a position connected different important issues that are astatine liking successful the appeal.

Google is expected to taxable caller arguments to the tribunal of appeals adjacent month.

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