Mozilla has removed the Yandex Search, Mail.ru, and OK.ru default search providers from the Firefox browser over reports of state-sponsored content favored in search results.
These sites are three of the most popular websites in Russia, used by over a hundred million users per month.
Since 2014, Mozilla has made Yandex the default search engine in Russia, and the following year made it the default search for users in Turkey.
With today's release of Firefox 98.0.1, Mozilla announced that they removed the Yandex and Mail.ru providers from the browser's drop-down search menu but did not provide any details as to why this was done.
"Yandex and Mail.ru have been removed as optional search providers in the drop-down search menu in Firefox," reads the release notes for Firefox 98.0.1.
For those affected, Mozilla stated that the default search providers and any associated customizations, add-ons, default bookmarks were being removed as part of this process. Affected users would have their browsers reset to the default search provider, which is currently Google.
In a statement to BleepingComputer, Mozilla says they removed the search providers from users in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Turkey for the "prevalence of state sponsored content."
“After careful consideration, we are suspending the use of Yandex Search in Firefox due to credible reports of search results displaying a prevalence of state sponsored content, which is contrary to the principles of Mozilla," a Mozilla spokesperson explained to BleepingComputer.
"This means for the time being Yandex Search will not be the default search experience (or a default search option) for users in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Turkey. In the meantime we are pointing people to google.com.”
In addition to Yandex and Mail.ru, a Hacker News reader noticed that the Russian Odnoklassniki social network (ok.ru) was also removed as part of this process. BleepingComputer has learned that they were affected as a subsidiary of Mail.ru.
While Mozilla has not stated what state-sponsored content is being shown, BleepingComputer has been told that it is search results favoring Russian state media spreading misinformation regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
BleepingComputer has sent further questions to Mozilla about today's change but has not received a reply at this time.
Comments
NoneRain - 2 years ago
Next: Russia ban Firefox
buddy215 - 2 years ago
Russians will still be able to turn on their TVs and radios to hear the latest propaganda from Tucker Carlson. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/mar/14/kremlin-memos-russian-media-tucker-carlson-fox-news-mother-jones
kalmly - 2 years ago
Hilarious. When are they removing Google search?
mynameisgod - 2 years ago
Oh I remember them. This is the company that announced they would be censoring what websites people can see - at the browser level about a year ago. That day we all stayed up late uninstalling every Mozilla product from every desktop, server, pad, and phone we own. I remember everyone stopped work around 3pm to do a mass uninstall. Most of us moved to Brave that day.
If you are still on FireFox then you just don't care about anything I guess.
ThomasMann - 2 years ago
If yournameisGod I am sure that you can offer a better browser, which also does everything Ff does? I do not think many people would not want to get rid off that garbage, but the sad news is still, that Ff is still better than the rest. And don't give that garbage like waterfox of Brave...
Ff is simply just another one of those websites which get more and more control over the internet. And ALL governments let them get away with that, as long as the share the stolen data with them.
shortwave - 2 years ago
Firefox also removed the RT News Add-on (even for existing Installations)
Play Store removed RT
Telegram RT channel blocked in my Country
This is a scary precedent Case ...
I could not find a reason other than
leo3487 - 2 years ago
RT is at Android playstore
maybe at your country is blocked
(Im at Argentina)
Chris Cosgrove - 2 years ago
What's the problem ? These web-sites have not been blocked by Mozilla, type the URL into your address bar and you are at both Yandex and OK's sites. There are a lot of search engines which are not in FF's option list. And if typing in the URL is too much work, do it once and bookmark them.
yawnshard - 2 years ago
87% of the people here don't even use Firefox (desktop market share). The others just love to complain.
ThomasMann - 2 years ago
NOT RT TV.... only the website is there
JunkBondTrader - 1 year ago
Honestly, why the hell is Firefox making a political stance? It's barely holding on in the browser race, and they think it's smart to censor websites, even if they are Russian? Anytime I sense the devs being hands on about what content to show, it's a major turnoff. Wow, good job, you're really making a difference for Ukraine lol, as if people won't find a way to access the sites they want because of this. No one cares about what Firefox thinks or does. Just give us a browser that can browse the internet. I want my browers to be a business. I doubt many are using these sites, but I guarantee some are. I hate censorship and adding even to it just a little bit, knowing youre willing to go to make political stands through your features, iis just a turn off. Browsers are to find information. Can't wait for web3, damn.