this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2025
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Firefox Will Ship with an "AI Kill Switch" to Completely Disable all AI Features - 9to5Linux (9to5linux.com)
submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by ekZepp@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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After the controversial news shared earlier this week by Mozilla’s new CEO that Firefox will evolve into “a modern AI browser,” the company now revealed it is working on an AI kill switch for the open-source web browser.

On Tuesday, Anthony Enzor-DeMeo was named the new CEO of Mozilla Corporation, the company behind the beloved Firefox web browser used by almost all GNU/Linux distributions as the default browser.

In his message as new CEO, Anthony Enzor-DeMeo stated that Firefox will grow from a browser into a broader ecosystem of trusted software while remaining the company’s anchor, and that Firefox will evolve into a modern AI browser and support a portfolio of new and trusted software additions.

What was not made clear is that Firefox will also ship with an AI kill switch that will let users completely disable all the AI features that are included in Firefox. Mozilla shared this important update earlier today to make it clear to everyone that Firefox will still be a trusted web browser.

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[–] Wooki@lemmy.world 1 points 17 minutes ago

https://librewolf.net/

[–] ssfckdt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 25 minutes ago

This is the Mozilla Foundations version of "we dun goofed"

[–] minorkeys@lemmy.world 3 points 3 hours ago

How about you ship with it off by default and users can choose to turn it on? No? That won't serve your corporate goals, will it?

[–] ulterno@programming.dev 0 points 3 hours ago

Add a compile flag!

[–] Atomic@sh.itjust.works 51 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Repeat after me. "There is no such thing as a non physical kill switch"

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 14 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (1 children)

Yep. Have no reason to trust it does what it says it does. Only way to prove that is for someone to dig into the browser while its running to debug/investigate/etc, things that are way above most peoples capability.

and even if it does what it says it does, no reason to believe that it wont default to on with the next update.

[–] Atomic@sh.itjust.works 3 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

I'm just gonna say this. The former head of CIA had his laptop camera taped over. If he doesn't trust the digital toggle. Neither should you.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago

Hackers have already proven that your webcam can be activated and monitored without the indicator LED even turning on.

If hackers are capable of it, you know the CIA have been doing it for even longer.

[–] termaxima@slrpnk.net 28 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

That's nice but it's not good enough. There needs to be a compile flag so the AI code isn't even included at all.

[–] laranis@lemmy.zip 10 points 13 hours ago

And disabled by default. You're not consumer friendly until it is opt-in.

[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

i wish they would release a second browser instead of whatever this is

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 3 hours ago

FF got lazy and never developed independant of googles revenue.

[–] tinfoilhat@lemmy.ml 8 points 13 hours ago

At this point, even Brave that markets itself as "privacy first" is embracing AI. It seems like Firefox could differentiate itself from the rest of the market by being staunchly anti-AI, even in their development practices.

[–] Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world 27 points 16 hours ago

Or they could just ship it without the AI

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 28 points 17 hours ago (2 children)

Would be nice if folks stopped calling LLMs AI. If they are true AI, they would be able to learn how a kill switch works and disable it

[–] JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyz 8 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (4 children)

We already have a term for "true" AI, it's AGI - Artifcial General Intelligence.

Both AGI and LLMs are types of artificial intelligence, as are things like OCR, speech to text systems, or chess engines, and a ton of other things, it's a vast field of computer science.

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[–] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 31 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

Until the bad press dies down and they feel like removing it

[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 19 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

The Microsoft way:

"Why do you disable that"

"You're weird. Everyone uses that"

"You cannot disable that"

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 14 points 19 hours ago

I think it says something that they're backpedaling at all. This isn't just "bad press", its a real market for people who want products that are "AI Free". And since Firefox is the other-other browser, its a market they're feeling obligated to fill.

[–] oftenawake@lemmy.dbzer0.com 39 points 21 hours ago (9 children)

They could save themselves all that bullshit by just not bothering with any of it!

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[–] veni_vedi_veni@lemmy.world 12 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

It has to be opt-in or they can go fuck themselves

[–] papertowels@mander.xyz 1 points 5 hours ago

It's not mentioned in the reporting, but according to the source they say it is going to be opt-in (or at least something with opt-in in mind)

[–] rozodru@pie.andmc.ca 45 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Well they're clearly not taking it all that seriously as it should be an Opt-IN feature, not an Opt-Out. They're banking on a majority non tech savvy userbase to not even bother disabling it. fine, whatever, that's on the user.

But it's just more Firefox bloat that I have zero desire to deal with. If I wanted bloat in my browser I'd go use Vivaldi.

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[–] nostrauxendar@lemmy.world 7 points 15 hours ago

Just don't add the surveillance and spam features in the first place. 👍 Fuck off, Mozilla.

[–] TeamTeddy@lemmy.world 5 points 14 hours ago

I think they should keep the murderous name, because at this point who DOESNT want AI dead?

[–] eli@lemmy.world 12 points 18 hours ago

I'm already trying out LibreWolf on desktop and IronFox on mobile.

So far everything is working, probably another week of testing/using and then I'll just uninstall Firefox.

[–] gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 40 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (9 children)

Y'know what's even better than a Kill-switch?

Not including it at all.

And that's why I've switched to Waterfox, which honestly, everyone should, show them that it's not good enough, by switching browser.

!waterfox@programming.dev

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[–] titanicx@lemmy.zip 22 points 20 hours ago (3 children)

This is a response to all the backlash. Oops, we"forgot" to mention you can completely turn this all off... (Quick, vibe code a kill switch guys!)

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[–] Suavevillain@lemmy.world 8 points 17 hours ago

That is nice and all I rather not have AI baked into it at all. I switched to Watefox instead.

[–] skisnow@lemmy.ca 25 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

Why not start with disabling it by default and see how many people switch it on?

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