Mozilla appears to be testing new tab page background ads in Firefox Mobile
When you’re currently changing the Firefox Beta background images on Android, you might notice that some of them are from the Disney Pixar movie Turning Red.
twitter user LePfaffanater was the first to spot the addition to the Firefox browser. Firefox Beta, the browser used by the user, displayed two images from the upcoming Disney movie among the collection of background images.
Firefox beta users can change the background of the new tab page with a simple tab over the Firefox logo on the new tab page. Ads were not displayed as the default background, but they are part of the backgrounds collection.
A linked website, called true colors, suggests that the background images are linked to a campaign. The site contains a Disney movie trailer, links to get Firefox, sweepstakes, sticker images, and other interactive elements. There is also an option to get the Turning Red theme for the desktop version of Firefox.
I tried to replicate the result in Firefox for Android, but couldn’t. Neither Firefox, Firefox Beta, or Firefox Nightly displayed these backgrounds on my device. The campaign may be limited to a certain geographic region, such as the United States, or may be limited in other ways.
This isn’t the first time Mozilla has meddled in media promotions. One can think of the infamous Mr. Robot campaign, which backfired because of the way it was run.
Closing words
Viewing movie, TV, game or comic book backgrounds in browsers and on desktop or mobile devices is very popular. Some Firefox users will be livid about this, others might like it or never see it at all, since backgrounds aren’t displayed by default.
Mozilla needs to find ways to make money outside of its search offerings. The organization has acquired or created several products that contribute millions of dollars in revenue, but that pales in comparison to the money it receives each year from companies such as Google.
Ads in Firefox are prohibited for certain users. Mozilla should consider adding a clear switch to Firefox that prevents any type of ad from being added to the browser.
Mozilla has yet to confirm the campaign, and it should be classified as testing for now. We don’t know the scope of the test or if Mozilla gets any compensation for it.
Now you: wallpapers that promote media, what is your opinion on this?
Summary
Article name
Mozilla appears to be testing new tab page background ads in Firefox Mobile
The description
When you’re currently changing the Firefox Beta background images on Android, you might notice that some of them are from the Disney Pixar movie Turning Red.
Author
Martin Brinkman
Editor
Ghacks Technology News
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