Install Firefox on Linux | Flathub lists Firefox as being under the MPLv2 license. However, this is being changed by Mozilla. Rather than re-writing what other are already writing, I’ll include this decent summary from https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1099130:
Dear Maintainer,
As you may know from recent news <https:// lwn .net/Articles/1012430/>,
Mozilla has gone evil.The new Terms of Use, from what I can see, are in violation of the
DFSG points 5 and 6:
- No discrimination against persons or groups
Rationale:
The terms of use grant Mozilla the right to terminate anyone’s access:
Mozilla can suspend or end anyone’s access to Firefox at any
time for any reason<https:// www.mozilla .org/en-US/about/legal/terms/firefox/#mozilla-can-update-or-terminate-this-agreement>
- No discrimination against fields of endeavor
Rationale:
The terms of use don’t allow you to use Firefox to break the law. While
this seems a reasonable term, it wouldn’t be so reasonable for a
disident in an oppressive country.you agree that you will not use Firefox to […] violate any
applicable laws or regulations.<https:// www.mozilla .org/en-US/about/legal/terms/firefox/#you-are-responsible-for-the-consequences-of-your-use-of-firefox>
While not exactly this case, see also:
<https:// wiki.debian .org/DissidentTest>.Apart from these violations of the DFSG, Firefox has now permission to
leak user data to Mozilla, and who knows who else they decide to sell it
later. This is a security bug.You give Mozilla all rights necessary to operate Firefox,
including processing data as we describe in the Firefox Privacy
Notice, as well as acting on your behalf to help you navigate
the internet. When you upload or input information through
Firefox, you hereby grant us a nonexclusive, royalty-free,
worldwide license to use that information to […]<https:// www.mozilla .org/en-US/about/legal/terms/firefox/#you-give-mozilla-certain-rights-and-permissions>
- What led up to the situation?
Mozilla’s greedyness?
Please consider packaging a fork of Firefox that doesn’t have these
violations of Debian’s Policy and the security and privacy bugs.Have a lovely day!
Alex
While I can’t speak to whether Mozilla’s intentions are good or bad, from both a legal perspective and a user trust perspective, Flathub absolutely needs to handle this change with much care.
I’m not sure what infrastructure Flatpak/Flathub/the various frontends have in place to inform users of significant changes in the licenses of applications they have installed, but if such a mechanism is not in place, it probably should be. The mechanism should probably get user consent before installing the application update, allowing the user to stick to the version they currently have installed. Bonus points for providing a short list of similar alternative applications and their respective licenses.