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Firefox for Web Developers@firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 07:02:57)
@ArneBab @vex @dveditz I found our discussion here reasonable, fwiw. I appreciated your viewpoints here, even if I didn't agree with all of them.
Reply to @firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social
Noa@vex@kolektiva.social (2026-02-03 07:01:53)
@firefoxwebdevs @sarah the fact that this is the best you can do with a technology designed from the ground up to ignore/bypass consent, is exactly what's pissing everyone off.
The very fact that this technology is being implemented directly into the browser telegraphs the intention to not keep that promise.
Firefox for Web Developers@firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 07:01:51)
@ArneBab people indicated pretty strongly that they wanted a way to block AI, but re-enable particular features https://mastodon.social/@firefoxwebdevs/115849251057488746.
It used to be referred to as a 'kill switch', which is much stronger wording, and a lot of folks wanted that wording (see the replies https://mastodon.social/@firefoxwebdevs/115740500373677782). But I think "block" is a reasonable middle ground. I understand that you don't.
Reply to @condret@fedi.absturztau.be
Firefox for Web Developers@firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 06:57:01)
@condret @mike our translation, tab naming, and link preview features all use local models.
The AI sidebar doesn't, but I'm assuming that's obvious as you select a third-party service to use.
Reply to @viralobscurity@mstdn.social
Firefox for Web Developers@firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 06:55:54)
@viralobscurity both Librewolf and Vivaldi have built-in translation, which people overwhelmingly consider to be AI (https://mastodon.social/@firefoxwebdevs/115849251057488746). Vivaldi even sends the text to a server for translation.
Your choice is your own, but we are up-front about the AI features we have.
Reply to @firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social
Viral Obscurity@viralobscurity@mstdn.social (2026-02-03 06:47:39)
@firefoxwebdevs I'll be switching remaining friends and family members over to Librewolf and/or Vivaldi before this update drops
AI in the browser is a disaster waiting to happen and it's sad to see Mozilla think so little of its users opinions
Reply to @mike@sauropods.win
condret :verified: :ancom: @condret@fedi.absturztau.be (2026-02-03 06:46:28)
@mike @firefoxwebdevs i want ai, that only runs locally
17lifers@17lifers@hollow.raccoon.quest (2026-02-03 06:02:42)
#hatsunemiku #vocaloid #ミク #初音ミク https://safebooru.donmai.us/posts/10714873 - sleeping sakura miku! 🌸💤
Reply to @firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social
mausmalone@mausmalone@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 05:39:19)
@firefoxwebdevs I mean ... as much as I appreciate the transparency for the sort of people who follow release notes and developer channels, the whole idea of putting this is a user-friendly and straightforward settings page is to help the un-tech-savvy users who don't.
Like, both my wife and my kid use Firefox and they're NEVER gonna read a release note.
Reply to @silverpill@mitra.social
silverpill@silverpill@mitra.social (2026-02-03 04:56:31)
@astro I announced a tagged post to a hashtag actor, the response was 202. Not sure how to verify, though. Does FediBuzz distribute posts back to the originating instance?
Reply to @raymaccarthy@mastodon.ie
Firefox for Web Developers@firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 04:33:08)
@raymaccarthy @plwt a lot of people find things like translation a valuable part of the platform, and makes the web more accessible - including me.
I personally think opening up more of the web via translation is a important feature to have in the browser.
Reply to @firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social
Ray McCarthy@raymaccarthy@mastodon.ie (2026-02-03 04:31:03)
@firefoxwebdevs @plwt
What Vivaldi says or does is irrelevant.
Mozilla did a stupid survey that didn't actually ask if people wanted AI or ML at all.
Most people just want a browser. No need for an AI off switch as there is no reason to have ANY ML or AI of ANY kind in the first place.
Mozilla by any sane metric has been making Thunderbird and Firefox worse for years. I used them practically from release on XP till 2016.
I used Waterfox with Classic Theme restorer for a while after GUI bork.
Reply to @raymaccarthy@mastodon.ie
Firefox for Web Developers@firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 04:24:35)
@raymaccarthy @plwt it's easy to say you don't have AI if you define it so it doesn't include features you have.
Folks consider translation to be generative AI https://mastodon.social/@firefoxwebdevs/115849251057488746
Firefox for Web Developers@firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 04:21:51)
@sarah I'm not sure what we can do to convince you other than hold the promise over time.
Reply to @firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social
Ray McCarthy@raymaccarthy@mastodon.ie (2026-02-03 04:21:29)
@firefoxwebdevs @plwt
I've not used Vivaldi since last year:
https://www.qwant.com/?q=Vivaldi+AI&client=plgn-firefox-sb&t=web
They claim to not have AI.
I use copy / paste to https://libretranslate.com/ if I need translation.
There is no Cloud. Only other people's servers!
Reply to @ar_do@mstdn.social
Firefox for Web Developers@firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 04:20:30)
@ar_do personally, I agree, but we'd have been accused of sneaking AI in if we didn't https://mastodon.social/@firefoxwebdevs/115849251057488746
Reply to @firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social
Firefox for Web Developers@firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 04:17:43)
@mkj the next major ESR release is 153.0esr. That will include all features between Fx140 and Fx153 and is scheduled to ship on 2026-06-21.
In terms of policy: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2005805
Reply to @firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social
Kitty Jynx@kittyjynx@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 04:16:29)
@firefoxwebdevs AI crap like this has driven me back to using Lynx in the terminal for most of my browsing until I can find a browser not infected with Google, Apple, and now Firefox code. If I do need a graphic web browser I just us IronWolf and don't log into your account. I used to be a huge evangelist for your browser and other tools but no more. We have told you we don't want this, we want to support you and tell our friends to use you yet you make it impossible. For "Bob"'s sake LISTEN
Firefox for Web Developers@firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 04:16:02)
@ArneBab We're stumbling on the wording here. 'Enabled' to many people means the feature is active. That's why we went with 'available' for features that aren't actively running, but their entry points are available.
Reply to @mausmalone@mastodon.social
Firefox for Web Developers@firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 04:14:49)
@mausmalone I don't think so. But of course it will be mentioned in release notes. We're not exactly being quiet about it.
Firefox for Web Developers@firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 04:13:56)
@tay @madduci correct! You're blocking the entry points for these features, and features like it in future.
Reply to @raymaccarthy@mastodon.ie
Firefox for Web Developers@firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 04:13:13)
@raymaccarthy @plwt fwiw Vivaldi does have AI features like translation, and it even sends text to the cloud to perform that translation.
Firefox for Web Developers@firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 04:11:49)
@ArneBab but it doesn't enable future feature by default.
You're blocking the entry points to these features, so they cannot be enabled.
Reply to @firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social
your auntifa liza 🇵🇷 🦛 🦦@blogdiva@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 04:06:14)
🗣NOBODY ASKED FOR THIS AI BULLSHIT!!!
you’re traitors to the open web cause. this should have been an extension, not a complete integration in the browser.
@firefoxwebdevs
Reply to @plwt@mstdn.social
Ray McCarthy@raymaccarthy@mastodon.ie (2026-02-03 04:02:04)
@plwt @firefoxwebdevs
The word "happily" is out of context.
I have used Chrome (Android/ChromeOS)_, Edge (windows), IE (various cursed versions on Windows) and Safari (Apple Things) to "browse the web" and get a different browser such as Firefox, seamonkey, Vivaldi, Waterfox, Chromium and others.
I'd be on Vivaldi if about:config didn't exist. The only reason I'm not is more flexible script blocking on Firefox to suit TheGuardian web news.
Reply to @firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social
Jacen@thejacenallen@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 03:48:45)
@firefoxwebdevs boooo. AI shouldnt even be in the browser. Thats what the people told you.
Reply to @firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social
mausmalone@mausmalone@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 03:43:05)
@firefoxwebdevs Do you know if there will be a popup to let users know when it launches? (Like a product tour "what's new" type of thing?)
Reply to @firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social
grez from andromeda@oay@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 03:29:50)
@firefoxwebdevs the tiny minority of people who choose to use firefox at all dont want AI. it should be off by default if its being shoehorned in anyway, but since mozilla doesnt care the least they could do is not neuter the name.
"kill switch" bites, "AI controls" licks
Reply to @firefoxwebdevs@mastodon.social
mgeins@mgeins@mastodon.social (2026-02-03 03:17:35)
@firefoxwebdevs what's about mozconfig.cfg build option?
Reply to @raymaccarthy@mastodon.ie
Paul@plwt@mstdn.social (2026-02-03 03:08:19)
@raymaccarthy @firefoxwebdevs You have never needed to use about:config. You can still quite happily browse the web using Firefox without going into about:config.
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