Mozilla plans to integrate ads in Firefox Mozilla plans to integrate ads in Firefox

Mozilla Firefox’s management is working out a scheme to place advertisement in browser’s New Tab page, the company announced at the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s annual meeting and in a blog post. The advertised pages will be shown to new users with empty browsing history; a new user will then see potentially relevant websites listed in Tiles (nine rectangular boxes with a screenshot of a website in each of them) instead of just a blank tab; the feature will be called Directory Tiles. Sponsored content will be clearly labeled as such. As user’s browsing history piles up, the New Tab page will display only websites the user frequently and recently visited, sorted out with Mozilla’s algorithm.

Firefox doesn’t rush to make the final decision, and it seems like they are actually listening to their users. The company has a history of going against advertisers, bringing to life such features as the ‘Do Not Track’ browser capabilities and automatic blocking of third-party cookies, both aimed to prevent targeted advertisement. Mozilla mostly existed, and still does, by means of a multiple-year business agreement with Google, which is the default search engine in Firefox. However, it is time to think about other options to make profit, with Google’s own browser, Google Chrome, gaining momentum.

Mozilla Firefox's Directory Tiles

In a more recent blog post, Mozilla’s VP of Content Services, Darren Herman, answered the most popular questions. Starting with simpler ones such as “What are Tiles?” he went on to elaborate a little more on the new feature, although not exactly in detail. The only thing that users can be sure of – no personal information will be provided by Mozilla to advertisers; in fact, in order to decide what is relevant to the user, they will only take into account his GeoIP. The average time it takes a regular user to populate his browsing history to the point where he wouldn’t see ads is 30 days. The post ended on quite a ‘patriotic’ note: “...whatever systems are implemented will need to be aligned with Mozilla’s mission, values and privacy policy.”

Mozilla might be the first company to actually see how people react on a new feature before implementing it. While Directory Tiles are still in progress, interesting questions keep popping out all over the Web like “if I clear my browsing history, will I see ads for another 30 days?” And we are yet to find out.

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Guest
It is good.

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Guest
Screw Mozilla if they do that Diablo

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Guest
What do you think every other browser does? At least, Firefox is open about it instead of gathering everything it can about you and spreading it like a bad rumor.

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Guest
First they killed netscape, now they're adding advertisments.... I knew this was going to happen... Oh dear!! Dirol~

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Guest
i just want this.

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Guest
With ads or no ads, Firefox is still the best Diablo

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Guest
Luckily I've set my new tab page to a blank page. I agree it has been a great job by Mozilla, and I am for it. Yes, I would still state to Mozilla, that they should try and get only those ads which are non intrusive. Keep Up!

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Guest
The best it was, the best it will be even with ads! Chrome eats too much memory, that's why I always trusted Firefox & respect Mozilla Corp. for giving Google tough competition with their own funds!
But if they need to raise funds, I totally support their move to compete with Chrome!

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Guest
I will continue to use it as it is by far and away the best browser. On the rare occasions, I'm forced to use IE or Chrome I simply can't wait to go back to my beloved Firefox. I was said to see Netscape go but the migration to FF was painless and I've never regretted it. Thank you Mozilla. Give_rose

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Guest
I have practically ceased using Firefox because of its video problems where it will suddenly stop playing videos. With the proliferation of adverts this extra intrusion will seal its demise as far as I am concerned. So Blush in future it is fully Chrome for me and no place for Firefox. Sorry

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Guest
Luckily I've set my new tab page to a blank page Smile

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Guest
Congratulations.

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Guest
No, I won't use it if they do that.

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Guest
Google rules.

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Taha Gmine Amine
:p

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Vishal Bakhai
I agree, it has been a great work by Mozilla, and I am for it. Yes, I would still state to Mozilla, that they should try and get only those ads which are non intrusive. Keep Up! Smile

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Guest
What John Static and Paolo Filardi said, we can´t expect a good thing to be both totally free and have no distractions (e.g. ads), I´m rather surprised that the Mozilla crew has been able to keep Firefox ad (and ad tracker) free for all this time until now, running just on donations. At first glance, this seems to be a compromise one can live with. Still the best browser ever, IMHO.

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Paolo “Fillo” Filardi
I think it's a great idea. The ads will be only in the new tab page so it will be not annoying at all to us. And if they need funds I think that this is the only solution.

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John Static
Opera did this a long ago with its Speed Dial and nobody bats an eye.
Mozilla does it and everybody loses their mind.

Mozilla can't rely forever on the Google funding, and I think they chose the best option available to them: integrate non-intrusive ads.

If everyone donated enough to the Mozilla Foundation, this would never have happened, and I'm pretty sure that the people who are complaining have never donated a single penny to the Mozilla Foundation. Nothing is free.

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Guest
Too bad, I might have to switch back to IE.

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