Mozilla launches Firefox Enterprise to give European firms more choice — new browser gives government, healthcare and finance more control over how they use the web, handle sensitive data and access AI tools

• Mozilla wants security-conscious companies to use Firefox Enterprise
• “Choice is a lie,” Mozilla CEO says, referring to browser engines
• Thunderbird Enterprise is also in the works

Mozilla has introduced Firefox Enterprise, a brand-new version of its browser designed specifically for organizations that need extra security, governance and compliance controls.

The company argues businesses have become increasingly dependent on a small number of tech companies, handing over certain levels of control to third parties, however it believes that tech consolidation comes with its own risks.

It also acknowledges that these deep dependencies have made it harder for companies to switch providers, and all of this has been factored into its Firefox Enterprise browser.

Firefox Enterprise

“We see [the browser] as a key, but under-governed, layer,” Mozilla said in an announcement, slating other browsers’ dependencies largely on Google (Chromium) and Apple (WebKit). For reference Firefox runs on Gecko, a free and open-source browser engine developed by Mozilla itself.

“If all your options are built with the same technology underneath, ‘choice’ is a lie,” CEO Anthony Enzor-DeMeo explained.

Firefox Enterprise’s biggest selling point is control – customers can choose where data is stored and how it’s governed, and it’s designed to work with existing systems.

“Keep your identity provider. Keep your SIEM. Keep your MDM. Just add a browser whose management infrastructure you operate,” Mozilla said.

Firefox claims to have 200 million monthly users, but per Statcounter data, it only accounts for 6% of desktop browsing sessions globally compared with 65% for Chrome.

France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland will be the first countries to get access to Firefox Enterprise, with other countries added later on. And as for emails, Thunderbird Enterprise “is also in development,” so we can expect to hear more about that soon.