Firefox: Mozilla is preparing to take a massive gamble

Date:
Mon, 20 Sep 2021 11:17:17 +0000

Description:
Mozilla is thinking about demoting Google from its position as default
Firefox search engine.

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Mozilla is running a study to assess whether users of its web browser Firefox are likely to tolerate a new default search engine.

Currently, search queries punched into the Firefox address bar are delivered to Google by default. However, Mozilla has temporarily switched the default search engine to Microsoft Bing for a small pool of users.

The company says this experiment affects 1% of desktop users and will
continue for a number of months, likely wrapping up in January. Here's our list of the best SEO tools out there We've built a list of the best on-page SEO tools around Here's our list of the best SEO keyword research tools on
the market Firefox search engine

The fact Mozilla is considering a switch to Microsoft Bing comes as somewhat of a surprise, given the lucrative deal the company holds with Google, which has historically accounted for more than three quarters of its annual
revenue.

Mozilla has previously stated it intends to build out new revenue streams (e.g. from subscription products like Mozilla VPN ), but to abandon its relationship with Google would be a significant step.

One might speculate that the move has something to do with Mozillas new focus on user privacy, an arena in which Google is not seen to excel. For example, the company has already moved to distance itself from Googles plans to reform the digital advertising industry, which it says are fundamentally flawed.

Mozilla has not yet responded to a request for clarification over the rationale. But irrespective of the strategy, a switch to Bing is likely to annoy a large section of Firefox users, who will be required to fiddle with settings to reinstate Google as the default.

According to the latest data from Statcounter , Google is far and away the most popular search engine, with 92.03% market share. Microsoft Bing, meanwhile, handles just 2.48% of search queries and has failed to improve
upon its position in any material way in recent years.

Admittedly, the size of Googles advantage has plenty to do with its financial agreements with browser companies. However, many users simply prefer Google due to the quality of search results, and will want to continue to use their favorite search product.

Of course, nothing is set in stone; Mozilla is still currently testing the impact of a switch. But if the company does take the decision to make Microsoft Bing the default, a significant backlash is surely inevitable.
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/firefox-mozilla-is-preparing-to-take-a-massive- gamble/


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