BrendanEich
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Ad-blocking browser Brave says Google is breaking EU privacy law
Ad-blocking browser Brave has hit Google and other adtech companies with a formal complaint that could set an important privacy precedent for search engines and digital advertising firms. Mozilla co-founder Brendan Eich and his company want to leverage the new GDPR rules to open an EU-wide investigation against these companies, examining the way the platforms are using people's data. According to Brave, Google and other adtech businesses are broadcasting users' browsing habits to hundreds of companies in order for them to place ads.
Former Mozilla CEO's browser blocks (and replaces) web ads
Let's say you're Brendan Eich, the former CEO of Mozilla -- an organization that thrives on internet privacy. What would you do? If you guessed "build a privacy-minded web browser," you hit the nail on the head. Eich is developing Brave, a Chromium-based web browser that blocks all ads by default in the names of both privacy and speed. It'll supposedly be faster than installing all the relevant blocking tools yourself. However, this isn't strictly a power-to-the-people move... the Brave team has its own ad plans.
Mozilla picks interim CEO as it tries to move past controversy
Previous CEO Brendan Eich lasted just 11 days as head of the Firefox company. He resigned last week amid political backlash; Eich contributed $1,000 to California's controversial Proposition 8, a bill that would've ended the legality of same-sex marriage in California. That bill was eventually struck down by the US Supreme Court, and last week Eich was similarly struck down by uproar to his financial contribution. As of today, Mozilla's appointing Chris Beard to its CEO position (as well as giving him a seat on the company's board). Beard's been with Mozilla for years, and the company says it was exploring the idea of adding him to the board for some time (regardless of recent news, in so many words). Executive Chairwoman Mitchell Baker doesn't mention Eich or the reasons for his exit in her announcement. "In this time of transition there is no better person to lead us," Baker says of Beard. Given Beard's position is "interim" CEO, it sounds like Mozilla's still on the hunt for a new leader. Let's go right ahead and put this out there now: Any interested parties should be prepared for an especially thorough vetting process. Just a guess. [Image credit: Greylock Partners]
Mozilla CEO steps down due to political backlash
After a slew of criticism and increased scrutiny over his donations to an anti gay-marriage bill in California, Mozilla's newly appointed CEO Brendan Eich has stepped down. The company recently published a blog post that read, "Mozilla prides itself on being held to a different standard and, this past week, we didn't live up to it." This is despite many assertions Eich has made in several interviews in the past week that he would not resign, even though multiple employees have come forward on Twitter and elsewhere asking him to leave. Popular dating site OkCupid also made its opinions clear by refusing Firefox users access to its website for a short period. In an interview with Re/Code, Mozilla Executive Chairwoman Mitchell Baker said that Eich's ability to lead has been compromised due to the increased scrutiny over the issue. She also told the publication that Eich's decision to resign was his own and not due to any pressure from her or the board. There is currently no leading candidate to replace Eich, though efforts to seek one are underway. Update: Eich has written a post on his blog announcing his departure.
Political backlash against Mozilla's new CEO continues as OkCupid suggests browser alternatives (update)
Last week Mozilla appointed former CTO Brendan Eich as its new CEO, but the response to that move has centered on something other than its focus on mobile. In 2008 Eich donated $1,000 to support Proposition 8, a ban on gay marriage in California, and as a result a number of employees have called for him to step down. Today that protest extended to other websites, as The Verge points out Firefox users visiting the dating site OkCupid are greeted with the page shown above, saying it would "prefer that our users not use Mozilla software to access OkCupid." At the bottom it includes links to Google Chrome, Internet Exploder (natch), Opera and Safari as friendlier alternatives, above a link for users to bypass the page and continue browsing with Firefox. Since Eich's appointment, Mozilla has posted several statements about its support for diversity, inclusiveness and marriage equality for LGBT couples, including one penned by the CEO himself. Three board members have also resigned from the foundation, although it says that's not related to the CEO choice. Mozilla says that OkCupid never reached out to it to "confirm facts" (the full statement from a spokesperson is included below) but so far is sticking to its previous responses -- we'll see if Eich's request for "the time to "show, not tell" is granted. Update (4/2): CNET mentions that OkCupid has removed the notice, and the company says it plans to issue a statement "in the next few days."
Mozilla puts mobile first with new CEO
Nearly a year after Gary Kovacs announced he's stepping down as Mozilla's CEO, and the company's board of directors has finally appointed a new leader: former CTO Brendan Eich. Eich has been involved with Firefox from the very beginning, having invented JavaScript back in 1995 when he was an early developer for Netscape Navigator. As Mozilla's new CEO, Eich's not only responsible for Firefox as a web browser, but also as a mobile operating system. To that end, Eich has brought on Li Gong, who's been instrumental in building up Firefox OS, as Mozilla's new COO. Indeed, in an interview with CNET, Eich has said that Firefox OS is his highest priority. His goal right now is to get Firefox-powered handsets in as many hands as possible, especially the $25 ones. Eich certainly has his work cut out for him however, as the company isn't even ready to sell its handsets in the US just yet.
Mozilla offers Gaia UI first look, will reveal Boot to Gecko partners at MWC
Mozilla surprised us last summer when it announced plans for its Boot to Gecko mobile OS. Now, it looks like the project has some industry support, with CTO Brenden Eich tweeting that the company will make a partner announcement at MWC this month. There are no details right now as to who might be involved, but given that developer support is already there (the operating system is based on existing web standards, after all), the hopes are that this could indicate vital operator, or even hardware manufacturer backing. Another encouraging development is the first sighting of the platform's Gaia UI, further suggesting the project might well meet its planned Q2 release target. It doesn't stray too far from the Android / iOS model that we're already familiar with, but give the source link a swipe if you want to see more.Update: The image has been updated to reflect the latest to screens from the final product. The initial shots were from a proof of concept.
Mozilla planning a Chrome OS-like operating system for phones and tablets
The jury is still out on whether Chromebooks will sell like hotcakes (we're guessing not), but no matter to Mozilla. The organization behind Firefox has plans to develop its own operating system for mobile devices -- a clear shot across the bow at Google's browser-based Chrome OS. In a page on Mozilla's own wiki, a handful of senior developers announced their intentions to create a "complete, standalone operating system for the open web" running HTML5 apps. The OS, codenamed "Boot to Gecko," will be designed with tablets and handsets in mind, says Mike Shaver, the foundation's VP of technical strategy. And here's the fascinating part: the OS will rely on Google's own Android drivers and kernel to boot the device. In a Google Groups discussion thread, the lead devs said they chose Android over a Linux stack since so many device makers have focused their efforts on Android, and it makes sense to "reuse its lower layers." Still, they insist that they otherwise intend to borrow from it as little as possible. Obviously, don't hold your breath for Firebooks, as the project's very much in its infancy, but in the meantime there's some mighty interesting conversation happening in that discussion thread about Mozilla's lofty end game: breaking "the stranglehold of proprietary devices over the mobile device world." [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
