If Mozilla Foundation just laid off 30% of its staff and its advocacy division, will its fight for “a free and open internet” continue?

If Mozilla Foundation just laid off 30% of its staff and its advocacy division, will its fight for "a free and open internet" continue?

What you need to know

  • Mozilla recently announced its decision to lay off 30% of its workforce.
  • The Firefox maker also closed down critical divisions, including advocacy and global programs divisions.
  • The company indicated that fighting for a free and open internet is still part of its core mission.

As a seasoned analyst with decades of experience observing the tech industry, I find Mozilla’s recent decision to lay off 30% of its workforce and close down critical divisions a concerning yet strategic move. The relentless pace of change in the tech world has been well-documented, and it seems that even established players like Mozilla are not immune.


If you haven’t heard, Mozilla has let go of about 30% of its staff due to a continuous surge of change in the industry. Confirming the layoffs was Brandon Borrman, Mozilla’s Global Communications Vice President, who also shared that the company aims to restructure its teams to enhance flexibility and effectiveness as they strive towards an “open and fair technical future.” According to TechCrunch, Mozilla previously had around 120 employees before these layoffs took place.

While speaking to TechCrunch, Borrman indicated:

The Mozilla Foundation is realigning its teams in order to boost agility and effectiveness, as we speed up our efforts towards a more open and balanced technical future. Regrettably, this may involve discontinuing certain projects from our past and reducing roles associated with them, so that we can concentrate more effectively on the path ahead.

Beyond the employee layoffs, the Mozilla Foundation has also discontinued significant sectors within the organization, such as its advocacy and international programs departments. However, the vice president of Global Communications for Mozilla clarified that “defending an internet that is free and open” will continue to be a key part of the company’s purpose (as reported by The Verge).

This announcement signals the second wave of job cuts at Mozilla this year, following the layoff of around 60 employees in February. The company attributed these reductions to a necessary “strategic adjustment,” which included reducing efforts on a Mastodon project and shutting down its virtual 3D platform. Instead, their attention is now primarily on Firefox and advancements in generative AI.

On October 30, Nabiha Syed, Mozilla’s Executive Director, communicated internal changes via email. In her message, she emphasized the need for sharp focus in these tumultuous and distracting times, which might mean letting go of some outstanding work that has brought us this far if it doesn’t lead us to our next milestone. Syed also hinted at the importance of the changes, stating they would help establish a strong, unified storyline from the foundation, and reiterated that Mozilla’s mission is more crucial than ever before.

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2024-11-11 16:40