Why I Stopped Using Firefox and Adopted Brave (and Librewolf for Enhanced Privacy)

In late February 2025, Firefox surprised its community by introducing new Terms of Use that raised concerns about data handling. The original wording suggested that when you input information through the browser, you grant Mozilla a global, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use that data—a phrasing that many interpreted as potentially opening the door to the sale of our data to third parties citeturn0news28.

Although Mozilla clarified shortly afterward that this language referred solely to the essential functionalities of the browser—and that it does not imply ownership or commercial use of your data—the uncertainty generated was enough to make me reconsider my choice of browser citeturn0news29.

Why I Decided to Switch

I am a programmer, and for years Firefox was my go-to browser due to its commitment to open source and its extensive customization capabilities. However, the recent changes in Firefox’s data handling policies and Terms of Use made me question whether it was wise to continue trusting a product that seems to navigate ambiguous territory when it comes to privacy.

My New Choice

To meet both my professional and personal needs, I have adopted two browsers:

• Brave for Everyday Use
  Brave offers me a smooth browsing experience, optimal performance, and robust privacy settings right out of the box. This is essential for my work in development, as I don’t need to manually adjust every setting to protect my data.

• Librewolf for Enhanced Privacy
  When I require an even higher level of security and privacy, I opt for Librewolf. This Firefox fork removes unnecessary features and focuses exclusively on safeguarding user data, making it ideal for situations where confidentiality is paramount.

Conclusion

The recent changes in Firefox’s Terms of Use, which raised doubts about how my data was handled, prompted me to move my daily browsing to Brave and to complement it with Librewolf for sensitive tasks. This experience has reminded me how crucial it is to have tools that, besides being fast and efficient, put user privacy at the forefront.

References:

• citeturn0news28 Mozilla is revising its new Firefox terms to clarify how it handles user data. (The Verge, 28 Feb 2025)
• citeturn0news29 Mozilla says its new Firefox terms don’t give it ownership of your data. (The Verge, 28 Feb 2025)