Why should I continue to use/support Firefox after this GenAI/LLM nonsense?

[moz_user_167]

I am just burned out with Firefox and not sure why I should continue to use it instead of some fork or Chromium-based browser. One of the main reasons people use Firefox is to escape big tech, Google, and a repeat of the IE6 era. There has always been an understanding that Firefox was forging a path of independence even if it lacked the billions in funding that Google and others could pour into their products. That purpose seems to have been tossed aside. Firefox just seems to another big tech company product that is chasing Google/Chrome, Microsoft/Edge, and terrible GenAI/LLMs integrations.

It seems like every update brings some new GenAI/LLM component that is auto-enabled and difficult to disable. I do not want GenAI/LLMs in my web browser. These do not belong in a web browser. I have dropped nearly every other application or software that has forced it on me and included it in their product. I feel like I'm trying manage a Windows system where I have to follow blogs to debloat, restore privacy, and restore security. Conceding that GenAI/LLMs end up in a web browser, they should be opt-in and extensions/add-ons, not opt-out in some confusing mix of GUI and about:config madness. If GenAI/LLM is so great, then make it an extension or a fork (e.g., a FirefoxAI browser) then let those folks use it from there. Don't bake it into the web browser.

I continue to use Firefox for uBlock Origin but I guess that would be possible with a Firefox-fork. However, I am just tired of having to continuously manage my Firefox browser installs and battle websites that only support Chromium-based browsers. If Firefox actually seemed intent on improving security and privacy then I could find the motivation but this GenAI/LLM nonsense seems the point of no return.

On my Android phone, I've switched to a Chromium-based browser given the poor state of security and hardening for the vanilla Firefox for Android. I keep IronFox on hand but it is just easier to surf the web with a Chromium-based browser due to many websites just working better. Why should I deal with the pain and frustration of limited website support for Firefox when it isn't even keeping up with security hardening?

As for desktop, the Firefox browser just doesn't seem as snappy or stable as I would expect. Firefox for Linux is still not supported for Slack Huddles. How is it 2026 and Mozilla/Firefox is still not fully functional with one of the major business chat platforms? Yes, I know this is primarily a Slack and AWS-Chime-SDK problem but it is also a Firefox problem because there isn't much that a user can do; these kind of efforts need organizational and developer action. I've tried to prod Slack and the AWS teams numerous times to support Firefox but they've just done nothing. I also see nothing being done by the Firefox team, too.

Another example is the EdgeSuite CDN. They nearly always block my traffic when I use Firefox. If I switch to a Chromium-based browser then EdgeSuite is much less likely to block me. This is fairly consistent across the retail and financial institutions I use.

Nearly every corporate service and event that I use pushes Chrome and barely support Firefox. I just received a corporate meeting invite this morning. Step one of the directions are to access the meeting invite "using Chrome." Corporate IT does not recommend or support Firefox.

As far as I am aware, many of the security concerns brought up by Madaidan in 2022 still hold true for Firefox today, especially for Android and Linux. If this is no longer true, then it might be good for the Firefox team to post a rebuttal or update clarifying the current state of Firefox. The average users such as myself only see the Madaidan blog post and have to take it at face value. https://madaidans-insecurities.github.io/firefox-chromium.html

Anyway, I don't see a way ahead for me and Firefox but maybe you can convince me. It just seems like Firefox and Mozilla have lost their way to chase GenAI/LLMs. The Firefox devs no longer seem focused on security and privacy. Instead they're forcing privacy, security, and system resource disasters onto their userbase just like Microsoft, Google, and every one of the major tech firms. I should be able to just use Firefox, not have to manage it like I do for Windows, my IoT devices, and things that I can't trust. I just don't see why I should use, promote, and even support Firefox going into 2026.

Personally, I am one of the people in my social circles that provides technical guidance. Professionally, I work in IT, InfoSec, and consulting where my responsibilities drive internal IT initiatives and I frequently interact with clients that range from SMBs to enterprises. If I can't find a reason to use or promote Firefox then it only seems to reinforce my view that Firefox is a lost cause.