Mozilla bringing sponsored tabs to Firefox under guise of assisting newbies

Mozilla bringing sponsored tabs to Firefox under guise of assisting newbies
Advertising as sly as a fox

The 'Directory Tiles' on the Firefox browser's homepage will soon be occupied in part by the firm's advertisers, the firm has revealed.

In a blog post, Mozilla explained how the Directory Tiles initiative will be aimed at 'first timers,' with the nine tiles offering 'pre-packaged' content to explore rather than serving up a blank canvas.

"Some of these tile placements will be from the Mozilla ecosystem, some will be popular websites in a given geographic location, and some will be sponsored content from hand-picked partners to help support Mozilla's pursuit of our mission," wrote VP of Content Services Darren Herman

"The sponsored tiles will be clearly labeled as such, while still leading to content we think users will enjoy."

Transparency

Over time, those tiles will be filled with the user's favourite websites, as it is for those already using the software.

While the sponsors will be an inconvenience to some users, their addition is somewhat more palatable given the Mozilla Foundation's continuing status as a non-profit organisation.

"We are excited about Directory Tiles because it has inherent value to our users, it aligns with our vision of a better Internet through trust and transparency, and it helps Mozilla become more diversified and sustainable as a project," Herman added.

Via SlashGear

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.