TL;DR: Mozilla’s translation bot on Support Mozilla (that is currently overwriting user contributions is based on the closed source, copyright infringing LLM, Google Gemini. This is in spite of Mozilla claiming that they are at the forefront of open source AI, and belies their exhortations to choose to build open source AI and data sets. Although Mozilla has experience in attracting open contributions for data sets in projects like Common Voice, Mozilla is using a closed data set to overwrite open contributions. Since (paid) Gemini queries do not train the model, Mozillians can expect to correct errors every time the bot automatically updates an article.
Mozilla’s Betrayal of Open Source: Google’s Gemini AI is Overwriting Volunteer Work on Support Mozilla
Submitted 2 weeks ago by yoasif@fedia.io to technology@lemmy.world
https://fedia.io/media/ae/82/ae820a1b114925d88bdb3ad3890867f999d90a3ac770956f8cf0de1afb324333.png
Comments
ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 2 weeks ago
RiQuY@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Do we have a web browser that uses Servo engine yet?
Skankhunt420@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Not even remotely close yet unfortunately.
0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Yes, Servo, but in very early stages.
froh42@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Recently I go fucking annoyed by Mozilla that I rage-contributed (monthly payment) to Servo.
Mozilla is such a shit show.
Dequei@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
The first ( without the ) is making me go crazy haha
Railcar8095@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
God I’m happy to not be the only one. I read the thing the times trying to figure out where it was closing it
BagOfHeavyStones@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
#Error
thethunderwolf@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
For me the requirements in a browser are:
- Works without many issues
- Has extensions (or built-in features) that do what NoScript, Ublock Origin, Dark Reader, CanvasBlocker, and Redirector do on LibreWolf
- Relatively secure
- Open source and free from corporate evil
- Not annoying in any major ways
When the required extensions get made for Falkon, I’m probably switching
When they are in late beta or ready for use, I will try Servo-based browsers and Ladybird
currently I use LibreWolf
rozodru@pie.andmc.ca 2 weeks ago
I daily driver QuteBrowser and have for awhile now. I like it. does everything I need it to do and the vim style navigation is awesome.
Sure there are some quirks that can be solved via userscripts and trust me I have a lot written for it but everything that requires an extension in firefox or chrome i have working on Qutebrowser. I don’t get adds with youtube in fact dare I saw I have it set up better than what you could get on Firefox or Chrome, I have my password management via bitwarden, it all just works. And the dev, The Compiler, is great and is always on top of issues that come up.
there’s yet to be any site i’ve come across that just doesn’t work.
87Six@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
LibreWolf has been quite good to me. I just allow cookies on my most used websites and it’s been perfectly fine to use.
cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
contrast with vivaldi explicitly taking a no ai stand in the browser.
yoasif@fedia.io 2 weeks ago
But also not open source.
original_reader@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
True. Still, afaik, they haven’t done anything shady.
clot27@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Cant wait for servo to be functional asap so we get a real alternative that is free and open source
nil@piefed.ca 2 weeks ago
Mozilla is over.
dogs0n@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
The money from Google was surely what killed their browser. I’m not saying their was a behind the scenes deal. They just got lazy and spent Google’s money is stupid ways instead of improving their product so that they could gain a real userbase.
Imagine if they spent that money towards just the browser (not possible, but imagine anyways), we could be in a very different place where Chrome doesn’t have 99% (or whatever it is) market share.
Firefox is a good browser, but where could they have been today if it was prioritised over paying the CEO millions for nothing? They have recently been sorta catching up, i’ve seen a lot of updates that actually include features I use, but I think it’s too late.
Time for one of the new built from the ground up browsers to shine when complete. I still stand by Firefox and recommend it, but as soon as their is an open competitor that is production ready, I’m outta here.
They have undoubtly done amazing things for the web, but their idiocy is astounding sometimes and I don’t wanna stay on a sinking ship. I’d rather use a new browser that helps keep the web secure, safe a pleasant for us all without annoyances or dumb beurocracy.
FaceDeer@fedia.io 2 weeks ago
It's funny seeing the sudden surge of "copyright is awesome!" On the Internet now that it's become a useful talking point to bludgeon the hated Abominable Intelligence with.
Have any actual court cases established that Gemini is violating copyright, BTW? The major cases I've seen so far have been coming down on the "training AI is fair use" side of things, any copyright issues have largely been ancillary to that.
yoasif@fedia.io 2 weeks ago
Copyright isn't awesome, it is useful. The whole basis of open source is built on the concept of copyright (copyleft), so alignment with copyright isn't "sudden", it is fundamental.
Grimy@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Copyrights is mostly used by big companies to fuck with the competition so they can keep a strangle hold on the consumers.
It’s a deeply flawed system not in any way to our advantage. Actually having the copyright laws strengthened so they apply to AI training would instantly kill the open source scene and make certain only a handful of companies can afford to put out models.
Copyleft is built as a protection against big companies and how unfair the playing field is because of copyright laws. It’s like saying crime is a good thing because without it, we wouldn’t have a police force.
ErmahgherdDavid@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Well Anthropic chose to settle their piracy lawsuit out of court which probably indicates that they thought there was a reasonable chance they could have lost the case. No legally binding precedents set yet though afaik.
porcoesphino@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
Why is this being downvoted so heavily?
Lfrith@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Probably because their angle is to find opportunities to push an AI positive agenda whether copyright is involved or not.
pirate2377@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Copyright can be used to in a good way. Unfortunately, its mostly used by big corporations as a battering ram to extract as much money as possible from smaller businesses and even just individuals
ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Time to switch to LibreWolf or something else.
Can I use that to sync passwords, history, etc. between phone and PC in some way of form, even if self-hosted?
jjlinux@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
I’ve been on librewolf for years, and as long as I’m running the FlatPak version, all Firefox extensions work. Having said that, you do have a few options to sync. One is using your Firefox account (I don’t suggest you do because of Mozilla’s BS over the past year or so, but you would be sharing way less stuff this way). In my case, the only thing I want synced in browsers is the bookmarks, so I use floccus extension in every browser, floccus app in android, and host them all in a self-hosted linkwarden instance. I hope that helps.
palordrolap@fedia.io 2 weeks ago
Sigh. At this rate I can see a day where I end up switching to WebKitGTK's MiniBrowser as my main rather than having it as a "secret" backup.
phillycodehound@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I won’t use regular Vanilla FF. I do like Zen tho!
headset@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Oh no! Better delete that woke tranny Firefox and install Brave™ the Crypto AI browser.
Am I doing Lemmy right?
helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
No, that’s reddit.
nil@piefed.ca 2 weeks ago
Why brave lol it’s not even an option
Librewolf for now
headset@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I know. Brave is always driving negative campaigns against mozilla. This whole nothingburger seems just like yet another ambush campaign.
Also, you idiots are to stupid to recognize sarcasm.
isthereanydeal@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
Man, you nailed it. Plus the article is 90% nonsense.
Cabbage_Pout61@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Ia there any good alternative to FF that is cross device compatible and keep my sessions between said devices, but without me having to press anything more than “Install” or to type “apt-get install firefox”?
I hear a lot of these newer open source friendly browser, but switching between my pc/notebook/phone/tablet, is a requirement.
isthereanydeal@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
Nonsense, Mozilla Firefox is fine. Stop spreading bs. Please.
flamiera@kbin.melroy.org 2 weeks ago
Firefox Fanboys still: LEST IT NOT CHROME!
ShellMonkey@piefed.socdojo.com 2 weeks ago
Google puts up a major chunk of the funding Mozzia gets in a year. If you don't want them being the default choice in search or having your queries fed to their bots then start putting up the money to make their support no longer required.
lambalicious@lemmy.sdf.org 2 weeks ago
Not really conductive as long as most funds are siphoned by the C-suite ranks. Get rid of the C-fat first, maybe even turn Mozilla into a co-op, then have the People fund it.
Zombie@feddit.uk 2 weeks ago
Their support isn’t required though, it’s desired.
Mozilla have millions of $, they are actively investing in various money making schemes (sorry, financial investment vehicles) well outwith the original scope of Mozilla.
They take the money because they want the money, they could refuse it any time they want. But they won’t, because they don’t want to. They’re not a poor FOSS project with an independent developer that needs donations to survive, stop treating them like they are.
Mozilla has created some brilliant software, but they’re leaving their original mission behind, burning goodwill with many people around the world, and setting themselves up to be shunned by the open source community the second a viable alternative pops up.
Peruvian_Skies@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
I just hope the alternatove doesn’t take too long to materialize
antonim@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
There’s no way individual donations from ordinary people could match Google’s. They’re also likely to be less reliable.
Mozilla doesn’t even ask for donations from users a whole lot, and the money they receive mostly doesn’t go into development of the browser:
These funds directly support advocacy campaigns (i.e. asking big tech companies to protect your privacy), research and publications like the *Privacy Not Included buyer’s guide and Internet Health Report, and covers a portion of our annual MozFest gathering.
www.mozillafoundation.org/en/donate/help/#frequen…
froh42@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Thank god. I do really believe all the Google money is actively stifling innovation at Mozilla. The only thing they can’t do is building a better browser than chrome is, for fear of becoming a viable alternative again.
So they use the money for some CEO pay. and weird projects while Firefox further falls from popularity.
I hope for the day Firefox’s market share has dropped to a level tha Google just won’t pay any money anymore for the default search engine deal.
That day - and not one day before - innovation will resume.
underisk@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
Voting with your wallet doesn’t work when you are the product. They don’t care about your money when google’s will dwarf any amount individuals could hope to raise, even collectively. Nothing prevents them from just taking both your money and google’s and changing absolutely nothing.
froh42@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I did. I rage-signed up for a monthly contribution to the Servo project the last time I read about something Mozilla did.
tabular@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
It’s too late to give (life) support. Web browsers are a dying ecosystem as it’s too complex to create competition. Why not abandon them and instead support software that does a seperatable part of what modern browsers do?
thethunderwolf@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
HTML is old and weird and its browsers have a bad ecosystem. The way to go would be to ignore xkcd 927 and make a new standard and a pilot browser for it. The hard part would be getting people to use it.
Invertedouroboros@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I don’t necessarily disagree on the complexity point, but I don’t think breaking up the functionality of a web browser fixes the issue.
Web browsers are one of those basic tools everyone who uses a computer relies upon. Breaking that up would not only lead to user frustration, I think it’d introduce brand new territories bad actors like Google could monopolize. Now that unified “web browsers” exist it’s incredibly difficult to ask users to stop using them. It turns from “download this program” to “download these four or five separate programs and follow this guide to learn how to daisy chain them together into a browser equivalent.”. That’s a reasonable ask for some people. Hell, it’s a reasonable ask for me frankly. But your average user isn’t going to have the time nor the patience to attempt to make that solution work.
db2@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Lets all go back to Gopher.
Tim_Bisley@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
I thought Mozilla lost the google funding in the monopoly ruling?
ShellMonkey@piefed.socdojo.com 2 weeks ago
Looks like it'd still a thing
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/09/google-antitrust-ruling-firefox-search-deal
OhVenus_Baby@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
What’s the amount they get donated or funded? So we know how much to raise yearly.
djvdKu@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Something around $500M and $600M yearly. And it’s around 90% of all Mozilla revenue