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 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months 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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[–] isekaihero@ani.social 8 points 4 months ago

This will be like all those times tech companies promised us they aren't harvesting our data only to find out they were harvesting our data. Years from now we will find out the AI was lurking in the background watching us, learning from us the whole time.

[–] vegan_communist@lemmy.eco.br 8 points 4 months ago

I'm new to linux, so I didn't know linux's users hate AI It's heart warming S2

[–] Suavevillain@lemmy.world 8 points 4 months ago

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

[–] codenul@lemmy.ml 7 points 4 months ago

Funny how companies and applications default to features being auto implemented by default. Baked into the applications.

What happened to having the user select what they want rather then "a kill switch" for an application, whatever that means. Features shouldn't be on by default. I should be able to turn what I want on and off

[–] minorkeys@lemmy.world 7 points 4 months 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?

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 7 points 4 months ago

For now...

The frog must boil slowly.

[–] DupaCycki@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Good enough I guess?

But why spend resources on useless features that nobody asked for and nobody's going to take advantage of? Instead of, you know, implementing anything that may benefit the users?

[–] Ledivin@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

It's opt-out, so the majority of users who don't even know about it will keep it on. That means Mozilla gets to steal their data and use it for profit, even if they don't interact with it directly.

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[–] FireWire400@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago

Already ahead of ya, about:config is a great thing

[–] nonentity@sh.itjust.works 6 points 4 months ago

How do you put a kill switch on the radioactive asbestos being deliberately whisked into the code base?

Anyone who frames LLMs as AI is complicit in the grift, and their opinions should be summarily ignored and ridiculed.

[–] TeamTeddy@lemmy.world 5 points 4 months ago

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

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