Updated

Updated · The Verge · Sep 1

Mozilla Launches Firefox iOS Ad Blocker, Leaving Search and First-Party Ads Visible

Updated

Updated · The Verge · Sep 1

Mozilla Launches Firefox iOS Ad Blocker, Leaving Search and First-Party Ads Visible

Q: Why does Firefox's new iOS ad blocker intentionally spare its own sponsored content while targeting third-party trackers?

Firefox’s iOS ad blocker spares Mozilla’s own sponsored content because the feature is aimed at reducing intrusive third-party advertising and cross-site tracking, not erasing every form of promotion from the browser. Mozilla says the tool is built around Apple’s WebKit Content Blocker and the EasyList filter, which are designed mainly to block third-party ads and ad-related trackers before they load. That focus fits Mozilla’s privacy message: third-party trackers follow users across sites, consume data, and clutter pages, while sponsored shortcuts on Firefox’s New Tab or Home page are controlled by Mozilla and are separate from the webpages users visit. There is also a business reason. Mozilla has publicly acknowledged that advertising helps fund parts of the open web, and reports note that search ads and Firefox’s own sponsored shortcuts are revenue sources for the company. By exempting those placements, Mozilla can add stronger privacy protection on iOS without cutting off all ad-supported income tied to its browser experience. The carve-out also reflects technical and product boundaries. On iOS, Firefox cannot rely on the same extension ecosystem it has on desktop and Android, so it built a narrower, browser-integrated blocker. Mozilla presents it as an optional control for users, turned off by default, meant to limit the most disruptive and privacy-invasive ad systems rather than create a completely ad-free Firefox.

3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Sep 1

Mozilla rolled out built-in ad blocking for Firefox on iOS after several weeks of testing, adding the feature directly to the browser instead of requiring a separate extension.
Apple’s WebKit Content Blocker technology and the EasyList filter power the tool, which blocks most third-party ads and trackers before they load to cut bandwidth use and clean up mobile pages.
Firefox keeps the blocker off by default; users can enable it in settings under browsing or switch it on and off from the site menu during a session.
Search-result ads, ads served directly by a website, and Firefox’s own sponsored new-tab content will still appear, leaving the protection short of a full ad blackout.
Firefox is catching up on iOS, where Brave, Vivaldi, Opera and other rival browsers already offer built-in ad blocking.