Mozilla CEO’s Dire Warning: Google’s Antitrust Battle Could Doom Firefox
The future of the internet is at stake, according to Mozilla's financial director, Eric Muhlheim. In a recent interview, Muhlheim expressed extreme concern that the ongoing antitrust investigation against Google could inadvertently cripple Firefox, one of Chrome's last significant competitors. The irony? Google currently funds a large portion of Firefox's operations.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has been investigating Google for years, suspecting the company of abusing its dominant position in online search. In August 2024, a district court judge found that Google’s dominance was maintained through contracts that create a monopoly in online search. The DOJ has proposed remedies, including forcing Google to divest itself of Chrome and breaking its promotional agreements – the very agreements that sustain Firefox.
According to a blog post published on 9 May, Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice-president of regulatory affairs, described the proposals as “extreme” and said they would “harm consumers and America’s technological leadership”. Yet behind the scenes, a seismic shift is about to threaten the survival of publishers, including Mozilla.
Firefox, Google's Unlikely Partner
Around 85% of Mozilla's revenue comes from an agreement with Google, where Google pays Firefox to remain the default search engine in the browser. If the courts order Google to cut ties with its partners, Mozilla could lose the majority of its revenue, potentially leading to the company's demise. Muhlheim described the situation as "very frightening," adding that the loss of the Google contract would necessitate major budget cuts and mass redundancies.
Mozilla underscored the importance of browser and browser engine competition in a recently published blog post. “A major concern is the particular focus on contractual remedies proposed by the Department of Justice that could harm the ability of independent browsers to fund their operations. These remedies may unintentionally harm browser and browser engine competition without significantly advancing search engine competition.”
The Vicious Cycle
Fewer staff means less development, potentially making Firefox less appealing to users, creating a vicious cycle. Furthermore, Mozilla's not-for-profit arm would struggle to fund open-source initiatives and environmental projects.
Mozilla's Plea to the Court
Mozilla has filed an amicus brief, imploring the court to avoid solutions that harm independent browsers and the open web. They are asking the court to seriously consider the unintended consequences of some of the proposed remedies, which, if adopted, could harm browser competition, weaken user choice and undermine the open web. Mozilla urges the Court not to prohibit Google from making search revenue payments to independent browsers (i.e., browser developers that do not provide desktop or mobile devices or operating systems).
The question now is whether the US courts will heed Mozilla's warning. Will the effort to curb Google's dominance unintentionally stifle competition and innovation in the browser market?
What do you think? Should Google be allowed to continue funding its competitors to maintain a diverse browser ecosystem? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
