Paid browsers are the future, and Firefox might offer a better deal than Chrome

By Anita George June 10, 2019

stock photo of Firefox web browser — Mozilla Corporation

The future of the internet may lie in premium web-browsing services, and it looks like Mozilla could be handling that shift better than Google.

As we reported earlier, Google’s recent move to block ad-blockers in Chrome, save for G Suite Enterprise subscribers, indicated an overall push for “pay-for-play” web browsing. And while the move was understandable given the fact that ad revenue is a cornerstone source of income for the technology company, the move to eliminate ad-blockers in Chrome is an apparent attempt to encourage free Chrome users to upgrade to the highest level of G Suite premium services. This seems like the wrong way to increase subscription revenue for Google, especially since the move to block ad-blocking in Chrome seems to alienate free Chrome users and non-Enterprise-level paying users.

Recommended Videos

But Mozilla could be joining the premium browsing trend with a decidedly better, less alienating strategy: Instead of taking away a beloved browsing feature to encourage subscription enrollments, Mozilla is planning on offering a few additional features to be included with its future premium browsing services.

In fact, as CNET notes, Mozilla also plans to allow free Firefox browser users continued free access to the current slate of browsing services they use now. Mozilla’s move toward adding premium browsing services was revealed in a recently published interview of Mozilla CEO Chris Beard by t3n, a German magazine.

In t3n’s interview, Beard offered up a few details about what a Firefox premium service would look like and mentioned that it could include services such as VPN bandwidth access or “something like a secure storage solution.” The interview doesn’t seem to have further details on the storage solution, but according to a translation of the interview, Beard did describe a possible version of a premium VPN service:

“We have tested also VPN. We can determine if you’re in a public Wi-Fi and do online banking and say: ‘Wow, you should really use VPN.’ You can imagine that we will offer a solution, for which we give everyone a certain amount of free VPN bandwidth and offer then a premium level via a monthly subscription.”

Beard also emphasized Mozilla’s stance on not taking any current free services away from free Firefox users, even when the premium subscriptions roll out: “Now, we still want to make it clear: There is no plan to demand money which is now free of charge for things. So, we will roll out a subscription service and offer a premium level,” he said

The interview went on to say that Mozilla’s first premium browsing plan may be introduced in October.

Topics

Computing Writer

Anita George has been writing for Digital Trends' Computing section since 2018. So for almost six years, Anita has written…

Computing

Firefox just gave you a great reason to ditch Chrome for good

Mozilla Firefox has just made changes to its browser, making an existing feature available by default to all users. The tool is called Total Cookie Protection, and thanks to it, Firefox now calls itself "the most private and secure major browser available across Windows, Mac, and Linux."

Whether Firefox is really the best browser remains to be seen, but Total Cookie Protection certainly kicks things up a notch where privacy is concerned. Will it be enough to help Firefox pull ahead of the competition?

Computing

Firefox is falling behind, but I’m not ready to quit it yet

The Firefox iPhone app.

Firefox just turned 100 (or at least, released its 100th version), which feels like quite the accomplishment. And yet, it still lags far behind the likes of Google Chrome in the tussle for the best web browser crown. But unlike the 70% of people who pledge allegiance to the Chrome behemoth, I commit myself squarely to Firefox -- and have done so for the past 15 years. But why?

After all, to many people, Firefox has stagnated. It’s niche, it’s a curiosity, it’s a relic. Why bother using it? As it turns out, there are many reasons. As it marks its centenary, browsers like Firefox are more important than ever.
The Big Tech antithesis

Computing

Web browsers are about to face a Y2K-type problem

A MacBook with Google Chrome loaded.

Google Chrome and Firefox could be facing serious technical problems in the near future that would not be unlike the Y2K problem from the end of the last century.

According to ZDNet, as both browsers prepare to launch the 100th version of their desktop browsers, it could create a situation where most websites fail to load on the new versions. That's all due to an upcoming Y2K-type coding issue.