Mozilla to add ‘AI kill switch’ to Firefox after user backlash over AI integration

Mozilla is set to introduce a complete opt-out option for artificial intelligence features in its Firefox browser, responding to growing user concerns around privacy, data retention, and the increasing role of AI in everyday software.

The move follows widespread criticism from Firefox’s long-time user base after Mozilla announced plans to expand AI functionality within the browser. Many users objected to the idea of Firefox evolving into an AI-driven platform, arguing that it conflicted with the browser’s open-source roots and long-standing focus on user autonomy.

Mozilla’s new chief executive officer, Anthony Enzor-DeMeo, confirmed that the company will implement a dedicated “AI Kill Switch” that allows users to disable all AI features in Firefox. Responding to a user on Reddit, Enzor-DeMeo said the feature will be rolled out in the first quarter of 2026.

“Rest assured, Firefox will always remain a browser built around user control,” he said, adding that users will have “a clear way to turn AI features off” and that “a real kill switch is coming in Q1 of 2026.”

Further clarification came from Jake Archibald, Web Developer Relations Lead at Mozilla, who explained that Firefox will provide a setting that completely removes AI functionality from the browser. Writing on Mastodon, Archibald said all AI features would be disabled once the kill switch is activated and would not reappear in future updates, with no reminders or prompts.

“Something that hasn’t been made clear: Firefox will have an option to completely disable all AI features,” Archibald wrote. “All AI features will also be opt-in. The kill switch will absolutely remove all that stuff, and never show it in future. That’s unambiguous.”

In addition to the kill switch, Mozilla said both current and upcoming AI tools in Firefox will be optional, requiring users to actively enable them. The company’s approach appears designed to reassure users concerned about how AI technologies collect, store, and process personal data.

For many in the Firefox community, the decision has been welcomed as a reaffirmation of Mozilla’s commitment to transparency and user choice, particularly at a time when trust in AI-driven products is being tested across the technology industry.