Firefox to start displaying ads on ‘new tab’ page, Mozilla announces

Perhaps with an eye on the funding deal with Google that comes up for renewal at the end of this year, Mozilla said this week that ads are to be introduced to its Firefox browser.

A blog post Tuesday by Darren Herman, the foundation’s VP of content services, outlined plans to monetize the browser, though he failed to say precisely when the initiative would start.

Described as “an exploration to transform the user’s content experience,” Herman said his team will be launching Directory Tiles designed to improve the Firefox experience for first-time users.

Currently, when you open a new tab, you’re presented with nine blank tiles that populate with visited sites as your browsing session progresses. With Directory Tiles, you’ll instead see tile placements from Mozilla’s ecosystem, websites according to your geographic location, and “sponsored content from hand-picked partners” – in other words, ads.

Herman says the ads are being introduced to “help support Mozilla’s pursuit of our mission,” adding that they’ll be clearly identified and will hopefully lead to content of interest to the user.

It’s not known if the launch of the ad-laden Directory Tiles is days, weeks, or months away, though it sounds as if it might not be happening just yet, with Herman stating that his team is yet to “work out the entire product roadmap.” In addition, negotiations with potential content partners appear to be in the early stages.

:story: Digital Trends