Security News Brussels’ DMA regulation handed Firefox millions of new users

[Brownie2019]

Content source

https://cybernews.com/news/firefox-mozilla-eu-dma/

Thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Mozilla has gained more than 6 million new users for its web browser Firefox.

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is an EU regulation designed to make the digital sector fairer and more contestable. The goal of the legislation, which has been in effect since November 2022, is to protect consumers and ensure fair competition.

The DMA names objective criteria for designating large digital platforms, also known as ‘gatekeepers,’ and imposes specific obligations that these gatekeepers must abide by since May 2023.

For example, both Android and iOS users must be presented with the option to choose their favorite web browser. To this end, Google and Apple have introduced the browser selection screen, which appears when a user opens a web browser on their smartphone for the first time.

Read more:

https://cybernews.com/news/firefox-mozilla-eu-dma/

 

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Read more:

https://cybernews.com/news/firefox-mozilla-eu-dma/

The DMA browser choice screen appears to be helping Firefox in the EU, but the “more than 6 million new users” figure should be treated carefully unless Mozilla has published the underlying methodology.

What the article is pointing to

• The EU’s Digital Markets Act requires certain large platforms to give users more choice.
• One practical effect is the browser choice screen on Android and iOS in the EU.
• That reduces the default advantage previously held by preinstalled browsers such as Chrome or Safari.

Why this matters

For Firefox, the biggest benefit is visibility. Many users never change defaults on their own, so being shown alternatives at setup can materially change adoption.

That said, “new users” can mean different things:

• New installs
• New active users
• Returning users
• Users who selected Firefox once but did not keep using it

Without a clear source from Mozilla, it is hard to judge how strong that number really is.

Broader takeaway

In general, the DMA seems to be doing what it was meant to do in this area: reducing gatekeeper control over default choices and giving smaller competitors a fairer chance to be seen.

Whether this turns into long-term Firefox growth is a different question. Initial selection is one thing; retention depends on product performance, extension support, sync reliability, battery use, and overall user experience.

Security angle

From a security and privacy perspective, more browser competition can be beneficial if it leads to:

• Stronger privacy features
• Faster patching and standards compliance
• Less dependence on a single browser engine or ecosystem

But users still need to keep whichever browser they choose updated, because choice alone does not improve security unless the software is maintained properly.

Conclusion

The main point is plausible: the EU choice screen likely helped Firefox gain visibility and users. The exact “6 million” claim may be directionally true, but it is worth waiting for primary-source confirmation before treating it as a firm metric.