Mozilla Has Changed Its Default Browser to Google Again

If you live in the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, and Taiwan and have Mozilla Firefox Quantum on your PC, have you used it today?

Well, check it out now because the default search engine has changed from Yahoo to Google – again.

After dropping Google in 2014, Mozilla then forged a five-year agreement with Yahoo.

Mozilla is a web browser developed by Netscape Communications Corporation. Yahoo, on the other hand, was recently acquired by Verizon Communications through Oath Inc.

Contractual Right

In a statement, Mozilla chief business and legal officer Denelle Dixon said: “We exercised our contractual right to terminate our agreement with Yahoo! based on a number of factors including doing what’s best for our brand, our effort to provide quality web search, and the broader content experience for our users.”

Dizon said they believe that “there are opportunities to work with Oath and Verizon outside of search.”

“As part of our focus on user experience and performance in Firefox Quantum, Google will also become our new default search provider in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan.”

“With over 60 search providers pre-installed as defaults or secondary options across more than 90 language versions, Firefox has more choice in search providers than any other browser.”

Google, for its part, confirmed that it is now the default search engine on Mozilla, according to a Reuters report.

Google, however, refused to disclose the details and terms of the agreement with Mozilla.

Surprised By Mozilla’s Decision

The move took Yahoo by surprise, Reuters said, quoting a spokesperson for Oath.

Oath representative Charles Stewart said: “We are surprised that Mozilla has decided to take another path, and we are in discussions with them regarding the terms of our agreement.”

Meanwhile, TechCrunch cited a Recode report stating that there is a clause in the Mozilla-Yahoo deal “that would have the potential Yahoo acquirer pay $375 million per year through 2019 if Mozilla didn’t want to work with the buyer.”

That clause also allowed Mozilla to junk the agreement if it so decides, TechCrunch added.

What’s Next?

What are your thoughts on Mozilla’s decision to terminate its partnership with Yahoo and use Google again as default search engine? Share them by commenting below.

Source: B2C