Why is Firefox (Gecko) necessary? Mozilla explains.
In a blog post published on March 23, 2026, Mozilla explains why
Competition, Innovation, and the Future of the Web - Why Independent Browser Engines Matter - Open Policy & Advocacy
https://blog.mozilla.org/netpolicy/2026/03/23/competition-innovation-and-the-future-of-the-web/
A browser engine is the technology that runs a web browser. As the core software layer responsible for interpreting and rendering web content, it plays the fundamental role of converting HTML, CSS, and JavaScript into web pages that users can interact with. While browsers are user-facing products, the engine is less well-known because it's the layer where structural decisions about the web are made. However, Mozilla states that it forms the core of the web, including protecting privacy and security, performance characteristics, and API support.
According to Mozilla, in 2013 there were five major browser engines: Apple's WebKit, Google's Blink, Mozilla's Gecko, Opera's Presto, and Microsoft's Trident. However, by 2026, only WebKit, Blink, and Gecko will remain. Mozilla explains that Gecko, the foundation of the Firefox browser, is the only 'independent engine' among the major browser engines. Below is a diagram from Mozilla showing the evolution of browser engines and browsers.
The less diversity there is in engines, the stronger the technological and economic influence of certain companies becomes. It can also diminish the practical ability to challenge dominant business models and introduce alternative implementations that prioritize users through security, privacy, and other features.
In particular, Mozilla is concerned that if a few vertically integrated companies like Apple and Google, which also operate search engines, AI assistants, operating systems, and advertising, come to dominate browser engines, ensuring competition, transparency, and user choice on the open web will become far more difficult. Mozilla warned that 'when innovation is built on a single dominant engine, there is a risk of a concentration of technological and economic power, narrowing choices, and the web becoming biased towards the priorities of a few giant platforms rather than the public good.'
Mozilla has previously criticized the negative consequences of Apple and Google's monopolistic practices in the digital market . In a 2022 blog post, they criticized Windows for making itcomplicated to set a web browser other than Edge as the default app, and for Android's use of Chrome, which lacks privacy features, as the standard browser. In 2024, they published a page summarizing cases where Apple, Google, and Microsoft prioritize their own browsers and neglect third-party browsers.
Mozilla has released 'Platform Tilt,' a page summarizing the technical issues Apple, Google, and Microsoft have created to treat Firefox less favorably than their own browsers - GIGAZINE
In this context, Mozilla argues that having an independent engine like Gecko allows them to maintain a more user-centric approach. Specifically, Mozilla explains that it makes it easier to implement features that align with their own philosophy, such as robust cross-site tracking protection and other privacy features, as well as a more flexible UI and customization options, which would be difficult to achieve simply by conforming to other companies' technology stacks.
Mozilla also states that maintaining an independent engine lowers the barrier to entry for new entrants, which is important. If new browsers can be built on Gecko, they can be more competitive without having to develop their own engine from scratch, and this forms the foundation for competition, transparency, and user choice in the browser market.
Mozilla concludes that 'browser engine diversity ensures that technology is built for people, not for shareholders,' and argues that independent engines like Gecko play a crucial role in achieving this.
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in Software, Posted by log1e_dh