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Firefox's beta feature "Smart Window" shared browsing and search history to AI models without prompting
(www.omgubuntu.co.uk)
this post was submitted on 13 Mar 2026
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There's a master "kill switch" for all AI features in Firefox now. I suggest everyone who's concerned about this kind of thing just go and turn it off, and then we need never bother each other over this again.
It's still opt out, not opt in because on first install that LLM garbage is enabled by default. The kill switch should've been for people that chose to try LLM garbage and found it lacking; needing an easy way to disable it all.
I won't stop complaining until Firefox makes their LLM nonsense opt-in, letting a user choose at first boot if they want that shit or not. That would be the most ethical and user respecting way to handle their LLM shit.
LLM bullshit should have been an extension
Exactly, it should never be bundled into software without explicit user consent.
Ehh, it's all local models. I don't really see the harm in that. It's just new features like any other.
It's still a problem because users are opted in, as I've mentioned in many replies...If users don't push back, we get situations like Microsoft and their insane LLM shit being shoved in all their software/services/OS. It's the same "normalize and numb" tactics used by corporations to make end users more compliant to their forced integration of features in software, that aren't the best or helpful to that end user. It's not okay, nor is this an ordinary new feature. LLMs are being used to do a lot of disgusting things in the world by the ultra-wealthy and techbros wanting to control/influence the masses.
"When it comes to privacy, defaults matter."
- Mozilla
Why not remove the AI and offer them as a separate extension? That way you're happy, and everybody else doesn't have crap shoved down their throats.
Or pick a Firefox fork that doesn't have the AI bullshit. Libre Wolf is great for people who take security very seriously,l. I hear Water Fox is a much closer equivalent to Firefox without AI, and also has a focus on privacy. I've also been using Iron Fox on my android with basically no issues.
With Mozilla's current track record I don't trust them to not fuck with the AI "killswitch".
The only thing stopping me from switching is the unreliability of updates to uBlock on forked versions of Firefox.
I've been using Waterfox for months and not had a single issue with ublock origin or any other extension.
Good to know! The last time I looked into it was early last year, good to know it works good for you.
My master AI killswitch was just to switch to Waterfox.
Till those options are turned off by the browser updating like has already happened with some people.