[heartbeats]

If they want to do something, there's a simple three-step plan.

1) block all ads, by default

2) do not unblock Google's ads,

3) receive Adblock Plus-style bribes from Yandex or whoever to whitelist them, provided they don't harm privacy

This would kill several birds in one stone. First, break Mozilla free of Google funding. Second, hurt Google. Third, increase Firefox' market share. Fourth, help users' privacy.

As things stand today, Mozilla just exist so that Google can pretend they don't have a monopoly. Follow the money - who pays?

(A: Google pays nearly all of their budget, and they have next to no rainy day fund)

[ComodoHacker]

>from Yandex or whoever to whitelist them, provided they don't harm privacy

I doubt you can find one that doesn't harm privacy. And particulary Yandex will raise other concerns.

[move-on-by]

Seriously, why would anyone trust the Russian controlled Yandex any more then Google? Might as well be advocating for Baidu as well.

[ComodoHacker]

On the other hand, there aren't many Yandex served ads in US, so most people won't care.

[heartbeats]

You make a deal - they stop it so that they may be granted a Firefox monopoly on advertising. Then, site operators are left with a choice:

1) abandon tracking, earn ad revenue from Firefox and Chrome

2) keep tracking, earn no ad revenue from Firefox

Yandex ads will be more pleasant due to not having the large amounts of tracking, meaning they'll reduce page views less. As a result of blocking ads, Firefox will become much more pleasant to use. As a result, the first option will be more profitable.

Yandex' "other concerns" is the whole point - they are the only serious competitor to Google. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. If you were to enter into such a deal with another American/European company, the regulator would crush them over antitrust concerns. This leaves Yandex (or the Chinese) as your only options.

"In fine, let us recognize that the adoption of my advice will leave us each citizens of a free state, and as such arbiters of our own destiny, able to return good or bad offices with equal effect; while its rejection will make us dependent on others, and thus not only impotent to repel an insult, but on the most favourable supposition, friends to our direst enemies, and at feud with our natural friends." –Hermocrates

[ComodoHacker]

>they may be granted a Firefox monopoly on advertising

What are you talking about?

Anyway, it's up to webmaster to decide which ads to show, and it's up to user to decide which ads to block. Browser vendor shouldn't be involved here.

[heartbeats]

If Firefox blocks Google due to privacy concerns, this gives Yandex a de-facto monopoly.

The user can of course opt out of it, but most people just follow the defaults. Inertia and all.

[zzzcpan]

They could probably exist without Google funding, like just supporting a Chromium fork with fast native adblocking. But obviously not as a thousand people company.

[heartbeats]

Sure, but organizations strive for bigness.

It's the perfect way to kill one, actually.

1) Give them $0.2 billion a year in easy money

2) Their projects expand as per Parkinson's law so they spend $0.2 billion a year

3) Since they have easy money, they won't bother seeking alternative funding sources

4) They now find themselves in the same position as a crack whore vis-a-vis her pimp

Mozilla wouldn't ever abandon their fun pet projects, but with sufficient coercion they might abandon privacy for "fighting hate" or similar.