browser – Tech News

DuckDuckGo installs are up 30% as users reject being ‘force-fed’ Google’s AI Search

In response to Google’s changes, many have begun defecting to DuckDuckGo, a privacy-focused alternative that has never been able to break past Google’s dominance, accounting for only around 2% of the U.S. search market. “Google is force-feeding AI with no way to opt out,” Weinberg said Tuesday in a statement, referring to Google’s Search overhaul. “As a result, their results are getting worse, not better. We want to be the place that puts users in charge and allows them to decide how much or how little AI they want.”
https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/26/duckduckgo-installs-are-up-30-as-users-reject-being-force-fed-googles-ai-search/

Mozilla is overhauling Firefox with a new look and a one-click AI off switch

Mozilla unveiled a major visual and functional overhaul of Firefox on Wednesday, the browser's largest redesign since 2020, with changes to its appearance, privacy settings, and AI controls expected to roll out later this year. Those eager to try the new look can already do so, as Neowin reports that the Nova changes are live in Firefox's experimental Nightly channel. Activation requires opening about:config, creating a new boolean entry called "browser.nova.enabled," and toggling it to true before restarting — though anyone doing so should be aware that Nightly is a pre-release channel and instability is possible.
https://qz.com/mozilla-firefox-project-nova-redesign-ai-controls-052226

Chrome’s new feature makes life easier for people with a million open tabs

The company announced this week that it’s beginning to roll out an option for users to stack their tabs in a panel on the left side of the browser instead of horizontally at the top. While Chrome might not get to features like vertical tabs first, when it ships them, it reaches a mass audience. Chrome is far and away the most popular browser, with about 66% market share worldwide, according to Statcounter GlobalStats, a web analytics firm.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91523724/chrome-vertical-tabs

WordPress debuts a private workspace that runs in your browser via a new service, my.WordPress.net

The sites created through this service are bound to your web browser, with their data saved in the browser’s storage. That means you can’t access the site from another device. But you can move your site to a dedicated WordPress host if you ever want to make it public.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/11/wordpress-debuts-a-private-workspace-that-runs-in-your-browser-via-a-new-service-my-wordpress-net/

Firefox adds an AI killswitch

Not a fan of AI? Tired of every app and device adding some sort of AI functionality? Then Firefox has some good news for you. The popular web browser, which is run by the non-profit-owned tech company Mozilla, has just rolled out a new update that comes with an AI killswitch.
https://mashable.com/article/mozilla-firefox-adds-ai-killswitch

OpenAI says AI browsers may always be vulnerable to prompt injection attacks

“Prompt injection, much like scams and social engineering on the web, is unlikely to ever be fully ‘solved,’” OpenAI wrote in a Monday blog post detailing how the firm is beefing up Atlas’ armor to combat the unceasing attacks. The company conceded that “agent mode” in ChatGPT Atlas “expands the security threat surface.”
https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/22/openai-says-ai-browsers-may-always-be-vulnerable-to-prompt-injection-attacks/

Mozilla’s new CEO is doubling down on an AI future for Firefox

Mozilla is in a tricky position. It contains both a nonprofit organization dedicated to making the internet a better place for everyone, and a for-profit arm dedicated to, you know, making money. Mozilla is not going to train its own giant LLM anytime soon. But there’s still an AI Mode coming to Firefox next year, which Enzor-DeMeo says will offer users their choice of model and product, all in a browser they can understand and from a company they can trust.
https://www.theverge.com/tech/845216/mozilla-ceo-anthony-enzor-demeo