Mozilla CEO Mitchell Baker has publicly acknowledged the shortcomings of the Firefox browser company’s partnership with Yahoo, leading to a return to Google as the default search engine for Firefox. The facts of the failed deal came to light as part of the landmark antitrust trial against Google, which maintains a stranglehold on the search engine market.
Bloomberg reports that Mozilla CEO Mitchell Baker stated in a 2022 interview played at the ongoing Google antitrust trial, that the company’s switch from Google to Yahoo for its Firefox browser’s default search engine was a misstep that ultimately deteriorated the user experience. This strategic pivot occurred in 2014, under the leadership of Yahoo’s then-CEO Marissa Mayer, who had promised a substantial investment in Mozilla.
“The search experience that Yahoo was providing to Firefox users deteriorated,” Baker stated, reflecting on the partnership’s outcome. Despite Yahoo’s initial commitment to fewer ads and less tracking than Google, over time, they failed to deliver on these promises, increasing advertising to the annoyance of Firefox users.
The switch to Yahoo is a pivotal example in the antitrust trial involving Google and the Justice Department, where the latter accuses Google of stifling competition through its hefty payments to remain the default search engine on various devices. Google, on the other hand, maintains that its dominance is a result of user preference, not exclusionary practices.
Mozilla’s financials were significantly impacted by the Yahoo deal, with Yahoo’s annual payment of $375 million surpassing Google’s offer. However, the degradation in service quality prompted Mozilla to revert to Google in 2017. Baker’s own compensation, which includes a portion tied to Mozilla’s revenue, was $2.5 million in 2020, with an increase following the renewal of the agreement with Google.
Despite Firefox’s feature that allows easy switching between search engines, the browser experienced a noticeable decline in users during the Yahoo years. “Our users made it clear that they look for and want and expect Google,” Baker explained, indicating a strong user preference for Google’s search services.
At its peak, Firefox boasted a 32 percent market share in the U.S. for desktop computers. However, competing in the mobile space proved challenging against preloaded browsers like Chrome on Android and Safari on iPhones. Mozilla is currently exploring alternatives, including sending some search queries to Bing, as they seek to diversify their search engine offerings.
Read more at Bloomberg here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.