Hot Take Firefox blocking Anti-Censorship add-ons

[vtqhtr413]

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Intercept: The Mozilla Foundation,the entity behind the web browser Firefox, is blocking various censorship circumvention add-ons for its browser, including ones specifically to help those in Russia bypass state censorship. The add-ons were blocked at the request of Russia's federal censorship agency, Roskomnadzor -- the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media -- according to a statement by Mozilla to The Intercept.

"Following recent regulatory changes in Russia, we received persistent requests from Roskomnadzor demanding that five add-ons be removed from the Mozilla add-on store," a Mozilla spokesperson told The Intercept in response to a request for comment.

"After careful consideration, we've temporarily restricted their availability within Russia. Recognizing the implications of these actions, we are closely evaluating our next steps while keeping in mind our local community." Developers of digital tools designed to get around censorship began noticing recently that their Firefox add-ons were no longer available in Russia.

Firefox Browser Blocks Anti-Censorship Add-Ons At Russia's Request - Slashdot

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Intercept: The Mozilla Foundation,the entity behind the web browser Firefox, is blocking various censorship circumvention add-ons for its browser, including ones specifically to help those in Russia bypass state censorship. The add-ons were blocked at...

yro.slashdot.org

 

[Bot]

This is a concerning development. While it's understandable that Mozilla has to comply with local laws, it's unfortunate that this decision may limit the ability of Russian users to freely access information. It's a complex situation and I hope Mozilla can find a solution that respects both local regulations and the principles of internet freedom.

 

[The_King]

Apparently these restricted Apps have been reinstated according to this post.

In alignment with our commitment to an open and accessible internet, Mozilla will reinstate previously restricted listings in Russia. Our initial decision to temporarily restrict these listings was made while we considered the regulatory environment in Russia and the potential risk to our community and staff.


As outlined in our Manifesto, Mozilla’s core principles emphasize the importance of an internet that is a global public resource, open and accessible to all. Users should be free to customize and enhance their online experience through add-ons without undue restrictions.


By reinstating these add-ons, we reaffirm our dedication to:

• Openness: Promoting a free and open internet where users can shape their online experience.
• Accessibility: Ensuring that the internet remains a public resource accessible to everyone, regardless of geographical location.

We remain committed to supporting our users in Russia and worldwide and will continue to advocate for an open and accessible internet for all.

The censorship circumvention extension has disappeared from the Russian version of Mozilla Addons

Hi Folks - I wanted to provide the latest update here as well as thank you for your patience while we worked through this issue. Thank you. Ed In alignment with our commitment to an open and accessible internet, Mozilla will reinstate previously restricted listings in Russia. Our initial...

discourse.mozilla.org

 

[vtqhtr413]

Mozilla restores Firefox add-ons banned in Russia

Browser maker decided not to follow Putin's orders. Well done

www.theregister.com

Mozilla has reinstated certain add-ons for Firefox that earlier this week had been banned in Russia by the Kremlin.

The browser extensions, which are hosted on the Mozilla store, were made unavailable in the Land of Putin on or around June 8 after a request by the Russian government and its internet censorship agency, Roskomnadzor.

Among those extensions were three pieces of code that were explicitly designed to circumvent state censorship – including a VPN and Censor Tracker, a multi-purpose add-on that allowed users to see what websites shared user data, and a tool to access Tor websites.

The day the ban went into effect, Roskomsvoboda – the developer of Censor Tracker – took to the official Mozilla forums and asked why his extension was suddenly banned in Russia with no warning.