Waterfox Browser cuts ties with System 1 to celebrate independence

When the creator of the Waterfox web browser Alex Kontos announced that his web browser had been sold to System1, part of the community eyed the deal suspiciously. System1, which also acquired the Startpage search engine in 2019, was an advertising company first and foremost after all. Its goal was to make advertising better and safer, and the company had a prior relationship with the Waterfox project.

On July 3, 2023, Kontos announced on the official Waterfox blog that the browser has turned to its independent roots again.

Kontos, who remained lead developer of the Waterfox browser after the System1 deal, remains in charge of the independent project. He mentions that the change allows him and the community to "shape the browser's future direction".

System1 must have had some say in the development of the browser after it made the acquisition, based on that statement. Kontos reiterates that the development focus remains on privacy, customization options and performance. Upcoming versions of the Waterfox browser will have online security and also the digital autonomy  of users as a priority.

He writes: "s we embark on this new chapter, Waterfox’s dedication to privacy, customisation, and performance remains. I am committed to delivering a browser that prioritises your online security and respects your digital autonomy. With this change, I have the opportunity to accelerate development, introduce new features, and focus on the user experience".

Kontos plans to focus on improvements in Waterfox that " enhance privacy, boost performance, and expand customisation options" according to the announcement.

New versions of the G5 version of Waterfox were released regularly, but the changelogs on the project's GitHub website don't reveal much about the changes that went into any of the releases. The browser's own changelog offers more information, which users may access here.

Kontos does not reveal additional information about the change in the blog post or specifics about the deal with System1. The newfound independence could act as a catalysator, Kontos certainly makes it sound that way. Users who migrated to a different browser after the deal with System1 in 2020 might come back or take another look at the browser at the very least.

Source