- cross-posted to:
- firefox@fedia.io
- cross-posted to:
- firefox@fedia.io
Mozilla finally landed today the long-anticipated AI Kill Switch controls for Firefox, which let users strip the open-source web browser of any AI-powered features, and you can test it right now in Firefox Nightly.
In December 2025, when Mozilla appointed its new CEO, the company developing the popular Firefox web browser revealed that it was working on an AI kill switch that would let users completely disable all the AI features that had been included in the past few releases, estranging more and more loyal users.
Now, the AI kill switch is finally a reality as it landed today with the latest Firefox Nightly update. The implementation is called “AI Controls” and can be found in Firefox’s settings as a standalone section. From there, users can toggle a setting called “Block AI Enhancements” to remove any AI features.
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Alternative interpretation: the CEO had the focus on pushing the imaginary game-changer and so the controls came later.
Moz: We’re an AI first browser. There’s AI in everything now!
Everyone: Boooo *uninstalls*
Moz: We’re not an AI first browser. We’ve added these control features so you can reduce the AI.
My question is whether or not disabling the AI feature also disabled the feature that have had AI integrated into them. The article is unclear on that.
Disable the AI*
After all that’s the only reason for a “killswitch”, no?
Oh my sweet summer child
They should never have rolled out any of these AI features without this already implemented. I think it really speaks to their priorities that they rolled it out in this order.
Mozilla’s CEO also recently said they would be building new products based on pre-established trust. I think they got their chronology wrong on that too…
Right, what trust? The trust they lost by putting dumbass MBAs in charge who don’t know shit and chase short term profits over sustaining a healthy community?
I’m not going to argue for AI features in Firefox, but I’m curious which features you feel are a priority?
The graphene community in the past has pointed out Firefox’s incomplete content sandboxing implementation and suggested that other aspects of security are not up to chromiums standard. They pointed out other technical shortcomings as well, though I can’t recall them, I’m not sure how urgent they’d be.
This was several years ago, and I’m not sure if any of this has been addressed, but I don’t think I wouldn’t like to rely on manifest v3 compliant ad blocking.
I get the impression that Firefox may continue to lag in this regard. I don’t feel that people like us are made vulnerable by this, though I do worry a little bit about people like my parents.
I don’t think the majority of FF users are very interested in AI stuff.
I use it. But more as a tool in a whole collection rather than as the single point of truth (as many others do)
I think you misunderstood what I said, or perhaps I wasn’t clear. I’m saying the killswitch should have been in place from day one when they started implementing ai features.
That said, Mozilla seems to fundamentally misunderstand their market. The type of people who use firefox are generally pretty tech-savvy, and care about things like privacy and control over their experience. Rather than hone in on features that their users want, they have hitched their wagon to the ai hype train in an attempt to favor curry with the masses.
Privacy concerns are valid when an external server needs to be queried, like if you were to use DeepL or Google Translate for this stuff, or for any LLM related muck, but they have been accounting for this already by making things work locally. For example, translations performed fully on device, and are an example of a feature I wanted.
Like many here, the entire AI browser idea doesn’t appeal to me at all, but I also struggle to come up with ‘features their users want’ if I take myself as an example. I have previously used Vivaldi, and while it is much more full featured, it doesn’t add any features that I actually end up using frequently.
Right. Like what features?
Improving webapp functionality rather than stuffing more and more AI down our throats, for instance.
I dunno about that guy. I’d like proper PWA support. Better VR integration. Both in Linux.
I’m all onboard with PWAs. I’m super disappointed they have so little love in general. Web tech is great locally when it’s not wrapped in electron.
If you’re a developer, have you worked with Wails? It’s like Tauri (rust) but in Go(lang).
Full profile sync would be nice
What parts of the profile aren’t synced?
Search settings, UI customizations, vertical tab settings, extension settings all come to mind.
If i didn’t have to redo all my customizations on a fresh install, I might actually cry tears of joy (i like to try different os and write my laptop regularly, so this is a legitimate annoyance for me)
A few bug/glitches I noticed and performance improvements are always welcome (I don’t think running ai services and integrations will improve performance)
Off the top of my head:
- better/more consistent sync
- container windows
- setting a default container for ctrl+t (and maybe shortcuts for other containers)
- a more user-friendly version of about:config
- more control for automatic data deletion aside from manual and when firefox closes (e.g. delete history+cookies older than 30 days)
would all be significantly more useful than any ai features the devs are currently working on.
I like all those!
As a Firefox user, this is not long-awaited. It’s a tepid excuse for a dead project. The forks of Firefox are the only real alternatives if you value privacy over convenience. If you don’t, then there are faster browers than FF anyway.
As a 10-year FF user, do you have any recomendations to what to switch to?
I haven’t personally yet, but a lot of people suggest switching to LibreWolf on PC and to either Fennec or Waterfox on mobile. At least on Android, since I can’t be bothered to look up the availability on iOS.
Too little, too late for me. I’ve already moved to Librewolf on everything with a GUI. Ironfox on my phone
There should never need to be a “kill switch” for a feature the developers have full control over.
Just make it opt-in. An AI kill switch makes me think that they’ve got a setting that will block all known AI interfaces and generated content, which is not what this does.
The fact that they can’t find enough utility in AI to make people want to use it is telling.
They lost me already. I’ve migrated away from base Firefox.
I was a Netscape navigator user back in the day, so I’ve come and gone from Firefox a few times. I already switched to librewolf on desktop and Vivaldi on mobile. I appreciate them doing this, but I’m not switching back until there’s another forcing function.
Did they ever tackle all the data collection they introduced? iirc it was opt out not opt in
Nope… And ads built in is still a thing
Where?
Sponsored stories, sponsored top shortcuts, even the weather is sponsored. There used to be an “off” switch directly in the NTP settings, but they pushed it into the settings menu.
There a bunch of sponsored stuff on the new tab page they get paid for.
… Those can be removed with a few clicks, mate.
They sure can… They shouldn’t be there at all however
I’m curious how you think Mozilla should provide a 100% free product with the things everyone wants without paying any developers?
What the hell, i didnt know about that, i guess im still happy with Librewolf
Same here
I’ve always seen “kill switch” being used in a negative tone, so with how the headline is written, it sounded like some AI feature that could kill the browser itself was implemented.
I’m just using the Firefox ESR client until its phased out.
I’m just using Zen. Has a ton of improved features and aesthetics.
Most forks use the ESR builds for stability. So if you ever want to switch one of those, the transition should be smooth.
I’ll use it, but I know that doing so will put me on some sort of asshole list and you will fuck me over.
And I’m fine with that DO IT put me in the alligator camp or whatever, I’m done and done
what’s the fedi opinion of ung00g chromium flatpak these days
I have it installed to use as backup if I ever need chrome, but I haven’t had to use it in like two years so I dunno
