Mozilla's Double Standards: Privacy for Some, Exclusion for Millions of Iranians

[Mhasadollahi]

Dear Mozilla Team,

I am writing to express my anger and deep disappointment regarding Mozilla's decision to make Firefox's built-in VPN unavailable to users in Iran.

Let me be clear: people in Iran are already struggling with constant internet restrictions, censorship, filtering, and limitations imposed by their own government. Access to a free and open internet is not something we take for granted. It is something we have to fight for every single day.

And now, Mozilla, an organization that frequently speaks about human rights, digital freedom, online privacy, and standing against oppression, has decided to add another barrier by denying Iranian users access to a privacy tool that could genuinely make a difference in their daily lives.

How is this consistent with the values you claim to defend?

You speak about fighting censorship and protecting users' digital rights, yet your regional restrictions effectively exclude an entire population of nearly 90 million people from a service that is supposed to promote privacy and freedom online.

Do Iranian users deserve less privacy simply because of where they live? Are digital rights only universal when they are convenient for the company providing them?

We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking not to be excluded. We already face enough restrictions imposed from within our own country. We certainly do not expect an organization that claims to stand for an open internet to impose additional barriers on us.

I understand that legal and regulatory complications may exist. However, hiding behind regional restrictions without providing a transparent explanation or exploring alternative solutions is deeply disappointing.

I urge Mozilla to reconsider this decision, explain the reasons behind it, and seriously explore ways to make this service accessible to Iranian users.

Digital freedom cannot be selective. Privacy should not depend on your nationality, and human rights should not stop at geographical borders.

I hope these words reach people at Mozilla who genuinely believe in the principles the organization publicly advocates.

Sincerely,
A deeply disappointed Firefox user from Iran

[Ajamx]

let's not ride balls, they wanted to promote their app, and probably faced to many people used the feature for other purposes, just as you talked about them.

We'll just delete it, and use Windscribe, that Cloudflare thing, etc.

Anyways, F those Pahlavists! They were looking for the denationalization of our oil, and a rapprochement with an (or 2) "ideological"-as they themselves say-regime(s). 

[MShahabuddin · Accepted solution]

We recently discovered potential abuse of Firefox’s free built-in VPN by unauthorized third-party apps and temporarily disrupted access to investigate. Service has now been restored. We appreciate your patience.