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Mozilla teams up with Google, Microsoft and more to protect internet users

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Kazakhstanis should not install the government's new root certificate on their devices

Privacy
Image credit: Shutterstock (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Mozilla has announced that it will work alongside Google, Microsoft and Apple to help protect the privacy of internet users in Kazakhstan.

The country's internet service providers (ISPs) recently informed their customers that they would have to install a government-issued root certificate on all of their devices in order to continue accessing internet services. 

However, when a user installs the certificate, they are choosing to trust a Certificate Authority (CA) that enables the government to intercept and decrypt network communications sent from their web browser.

If this sound familiar that is because ISPs in Kazakhstan tried the exact same thing last year and at the time, the Firefox maker said the move directly contradicts Principle 4 of the Mozilla Manifesto which states: “Individuals' security and privacy on the internet are fundamental and must not be treated as optional”.

Blocking Kazakhstan's root certificate

To protect the privacy of internet users in Kazakhstan, Mozilla, Apple, Google and Microsoft have all agreed to block the use of the government's root CA certificate in their respective browsers.

This means that the certificate will not be trusted by Firefox even if a user has it installed on their devices. When attempting to access a website that responds with the certificate, Firefox users will now see an error message stating that the certificate should not be trusted.

In a new blog post explaining its policy regarding the certificate, Mozilla urged users in Kazakhstan to look into VPN services or the Tor Browser to access the web without restrictions. 

The company also encouraged users that have installed the government root certificate to remove it from their devices and to immediately change the passwords to their online accounts. This can easily be done by using Firefox's built-in password manager.

Anthony Spadafora
Anthony Spadafora

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.