Mozilla Firefox exits China, raising concerns over browser's future
What's the story
Mozilla, the company behind the popular Firefox web browser, is planning to close its main entity in China, Beijing Mozilla Firefox Information Technology. The Chinese version of Firefox recently posted a notice announcing "the shutdown" of this entity in Beijing and the "termination" of the web browser's China accounts. Launched in 2004, the open-source Firefox quickly gained recognition for its speed, enhanced privacy, and customizable features. It offered a compelling alternative to the then-dominant Internet Explorer.
Operations shutdown
Communication from Mozilla's Beijing office has effectively ceased
A Firefox employee recently published a guide on backing up personal data, configuration files, and restoring them—evidence of the company's effort to support users through the transition. However, communication from Mozilla's Beijing office has effectively ceased, with emails bouncing back and phones unanswered, indicating the entity is winding down operations. A visit by post office representative to the registered Beijing office on Thursday revealed the premises closed and unattended, reinforcing the notion that Mozilla is divesting its mainland presence.
Competition
Firefox's popularity surged in the late 2000s
Once a strong challenger to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Firefox's popularity surged in the late 2000s but has since sharply declined in China. By 2009, Firefox had become the world's second-largest web browser, capturing 30% of the global market, behind Internet Explorer's 60% share. However, with the rise of mobile internet usage, Firefox began losing ground. In November 2011, Google Chrome surpassed it in market share.