Mozilla exec urges Firefox users ditch Google for Bing
December 11, 2009 – 9:34 AMAsa Dotzler, Mozilla’s director of community development, used his personal blog to urge Firefox users away from Google and to use Microsoft’s search engine Bing, instead. Dotzler cited privacy concerns, specifically pointing to comments recently made by Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
“I think judgment matters,” said Schmidt. “If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.” Dotzler then links to the Bing add-on for Firefox, stating that Bing’s privacy policy is better than Google’s (and notably fails to mention Yahoo at all).
Schmidt was talking about laws in the US, but the way he worded his beliefs did not sit well with privacy advocates—and a whole lot of other folks—including Dotzler. Microsoft has to respect the Patriot Act and other laws just as Google does, but after seeing Schmidt’s comments, Dotzler decided that Firefox users need to be reminded of Bing’s existence.
Google’s philosophy is that the more open information is, the better it is for everyone, especially the search giant, which makes money by organizing said information and then displaying as relevant as possible ads beside it. Microsoft, on the other hand, while still a business that like, any other, wants to make money, has a long history of dealing with privacy concerns and regulations, so it’s eager to avoid potential issues if possible. Dotzler, a 10-year-veteran at Mozilla, is saying that if you care about your privacy, remember that Bing is better than Google, at least in that department.
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