Mozilla is a free software community and non-profit organization best known for the Firefox web browser. Emerging from Netscape’s open-sourcing of Navigator, Mozilla has championed open web standards and user privacy.
Origins
When Netscape released Navigator’s source code in 1998, the Mozilla project was born. After years of development, Firefox launched in 2004 and quickly gained significant market share.
Key Contributions
Mozilla has produced significant technologies:
- Firefox: Privacy-focused web browser
- Rust: Memory-safe systems programming language
- Servo: Experimental browser engine
- WebAssembly: Browser-based binary format (co-developed)
- MDN Web Docs: Essential web development documentation
Mission
Mozilla’s mission centers on internet health:
- Open web standards
- User privacy
- Decentralized power
- Web literacy
Challenges
Mozilla has faced market share challenges:
- Chrome’s dominance reduced Firefox share
- Revenue depends heavily on search deals
- Layoffs reduced Rust and Servo teams
Despite challenges, Mozilla continues advocating for user-centric web development.