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Mozilla Firefox blocks anti-Censorship and pro-Privacy extensions in Russia
In direct contradiction of Mozilla's alleged "Commitment to an open Internet".
June 11, 2024
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Note: This article was updated on June 13th as Mozilla has reversed their censorship of these extensions.  Scroll down for the new details.

Mozilla Corporation (the for-profit, mega corporation behind the Firefox web browser) and the Mozilla Foundation (which owns the corporation) have begun banning access to censorship circumvention Firefox Extensions in Russia... in direct contradiction of the company's stated principles.

And this isn't the first time the Firefox maker has pursued a path of censorship of web users.

The Mozilla Principles

The opening statement of the Mozilla Manifesto -- the the documented core values which, supposedly, drive the work of Mozilla and Firefox -- reads as follows:

We are committed to an internet that includes all the peoples of the earth — where a person’s demographic characteristics do not determine their online access, opportunities, or quality of experience.

Likewise, the 2nd principle of the Mozilla Manifesto states:

Principle 2: The internet is a global public resource that must remain open and accessible.

In short: No matter who you are -- or where you live -- you should have open access to the Internet.  That is, supposedly, a core part of the vision which drives the development of Firefox.

Mozilla Violating the Mozilla Principles

In the last few days, Mozilla has begun restricting (read: censoring) access to several Firefox Extensions designed to circumvent censorship... for users in Russia.

As of the printing of this article, the following extensions have been banned -- by Mozilla -- in Russia:

The Firefox Extension page for Censor Tracker, when viewed from within Russia.

VPNs.  Proxies.  Censorship bypassing tools.  Privacy tools.  All are listed as "not available in your region" for users within Russia.

A few things that should be noted about this significant change by Mozilla:

  • These Firefox Extensions are still available in other regions (including the USA).
  • These Extensions were all available within Russia until a few days ago.
  • The developers of these Extensions were not notified of this censorship by Mozilla.
  • The use of tools designed to circumvent censorship is not illegal in Russia.
  • This censorship was implemented by Mozilla... not any government.
Same extension.  Different country.

The Lunduke Journal reached out to Mozilla with a number of questions.

  • Why were these Firefox Extensions banned by Mozilla for users in Russia?
  • Was there a request by the Russian government?
  • Are there plans to extend this censorship of Firefox Extensions to other countries?  (Many similar extensions remain available in countries and locales with far more restrictive laws than Russia.)
  • How does the removal of these Extensions fit in with the core principles of Mozilla (outlined within the Mozilla Manifesto)?  Will Mozilla be modifying their Manifesto to remove the commitment to an open Internet?

As of the publication of this article, no response has been provided.  Likewise, no public statement -- of any kind -- has been made by Mozilla.

This is par for the course from Mozilla, a corporation with a track record of not interacting with critical press.

Open Internet for some... but not for others

The fact that Mozilla is now actively removing access to privacy and censorship-resistance tools -- but only for specific people and groups -- should not be surprising.

This is, in fact, directly in-line with their stated goal of doing "more than deplatforming" of some people (but not others)... a goal their CEO stated back in 2021.

While many of the remaining Firefox users (which is down to roughly 3%) use the browser specifically for Mozilla's perceived commitment to a free and open Internet... that perception appears to be (at best) illusion.

At worst... an outright lie on the part of Mozilla.

Update - June 13, 2024

Mozilla has reversed their censorship of these Firefox Extensions -- and released an official statement which appears specifically written to address the criticism outlined within this article.

On June 13th, the following statement was made by Mozilla Community Manager, Edward Sullivan:

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.

 


 

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The Unpublished Anti-Lunduke Hit-Piece
A Tech Journalist interviewed me for a hit-piece article. But the questions made them look bad, and they shelved the story. So I'm publishing their hit-piece for them.

Back in September, shortly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, I was contacted by a Tech Journalist writing for FossForce.com (a smaller, Open Source focused publication) who was working on an article around Open Source, Antifa, and the Lunduke Journal’s coverage of those topics.

This particular outlet had, several months prior, run an “anti-Lunduke” hit piece without first reaching out for comment — which resulted in their most popular article (at least on social media) in quite some time.

With that in mind, it seemed reasonable that they’d want to repeat that success with another “anti-Lunduke” story.

This time they were doing the responsible thing. They reached out to the subject of the hit-piece article with questions. I like encouraging Tech Journalists when they do actual journalism, so I answered each and every query with easy-to-quote responses.

But, it would appear that the answers they received were not conducive to creating the hit-piece they were hoping for — my guess is they realized their questions made them look like the villain in the story. The villain they, clearly, hoped to portray me as.

They opted to not publish the piece.

So I’m publishing their hit-piece for them.

Below is every question — and every answer (with no edits) — which I was asked, on September 19th, by a Tech Journalist by the name of Christine Hall, writing for FossForce.

Fair warning: This is very, very politically charged.

Enjoy.


September 19th

Hall:

The last time I mentioned you in an article, you castigated me for not reaching out to you beforehand. Well, I’m reaching out now. We’ll see what comes of this.

You do recognize that the vast majority of organizations using the term antifa as a descriptor are not in the least bit terrorist and pose no threat to society -- and indeed, the only threats they might pose to fascist groups are not physical or life-harming?

Lunduke:

Hello Christine! Nice to hear from you!

Many, if not most, of those proclaiming support for Antifa (within Open Source) have also made statements encouraging or supporting violence and discrimination.

Regardless of that fact -- which I have documented extensively in Lunduke Journal coverage -- when violent acts are committed (such as murder, riots, and lynchings) in the name of “Antifa”, to turn around and immediately declare yourself to be “Antifa” is a clear declaration of support of that violence.

Hall:

And why did you feel it necessary to call out Danielle Foré’s [the founder of the elementary OS Linux Distribution] trans status in such an ugly manner?

Lunduke:

There is a noteworthy overlap between “Trans activism” and support for political violence -- including in the recent murder of Charlie Kirk (the murderer’s boyfriend was “Trans”).

In the case of Daniel Fore, he, a leader of an Open Source project, regularly calls for discrimination (and violence) against people he disagrees with -- often in conjunction with his self-declaration as “Trans”.

Thus, his declaration of being “Trans” becomes a part of the overall story.

It is worth noting here that The Lunduke Journal has never -- and would never -- call for discrimination or violence against someone because of how they identify or who they may (or may not) vote for.

This is in stark contrast those, such as Mr. Fore, who consider themselves “Trans” or “Antifa” -- who actively advocate for both discrimination and violence.

Hall:

Mentioning a person’s trans status in ways that are pertinent to your argument necessates rudeness such as calling her a “dude who likes to wear dresses”?

Lunduke:

Dan Fore is, in fact, a dude who likes to wear dresses.

The only reason to view that as a negative is if you view dudes wearing dresses as a negative.

Hall:

I’ll quote you on that, which I’m pretty sure won’t bother you in the least.

Lunduke:

Absolutely! Quote anything I say here. In fact, I suggest quoting absolutely everything I’ve written to you here, today.

Hall:

You also understand, don’t you, that voicing disagreement with an assessment made by POTUS is not only legal but a healthy part of the national dialog.

Lunduke:

Absolutely! Did I say somewhere that it was illegal to disagree with a politician? It seems unlikely that I have ever said that.

Hall:

Also, how would you reply to this:

There have been very few murders linked to individuals associated with Antifa, some incidents of rioting attributed to Antifa supporters, and no credible evidence of lynchings conducted in the name of Antifa. Compared to far-right groups, violence attributed to Antifa is much less frequent and lethal, with only one suspected kill—Aaron Danielson in Portland, by an anti-fascist activist—officially confirmed in recent U.S. history.

Lunduke:

Murder is bad. I am opposed to all murder.

In the context of these discussions, bearing in mind the Kirk murder is important (as many statements were made in response to it). The murderer of Kirk appears to have been pro-Trans and pro-Antifa (based on all available information).

Hall:

Is there any evidence that the suspect was part of an antifa group? I haven’t seen any.

Lunduke:

I have seen some reporting to this effect (including statements from family and messages he wrote).

But, far more important to this story, is the response to the murder among Antifa supporters (including those within Open Source). A large portion of Antifa supporters have celebrated the murder as justified because it killed someone they considered to be a “fascist”.

Hall:

Also, no group should be held responsible for what some deranged person who identifies with the group has done.

Lunduke:

I agree that a broader group should not be held responsible for the actions of a small number of individuals.

However, and this is critically important, it is entirely appropriate to hold people responsible for their own statements and actions.

With that in mind: The overall messaging of Antifa (and Antifa supporters) tends heavily towards violence. Punching, killing, molotov cocktails, etc. are all common messaging used by Antifa (including by those I quote within the Open Source world -- many of whom have advocated violence against myself).

Advocating for violence, then celebrating when violence is committed, are not good things.

Yet we see a great deal of that among Open Source supporters of Antifa.

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