The Mozilla Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Mozilla, which develops the Firefox browser, has recently laid off 30% of its workforce, citing challenges from continuous changes in the industry.
Mozilla Foundation's communications chief, Brandon Borrman, confirmed the layoffs in an email to TechCrunch, stating that the organization is restructuring to boost flexibility and effectiveness in its mission to foster a more open and fair technological future. This reorganization, however, means ceasing certain projects and removing roles that are no longer aligned with Mozilla's future goals.
According to Mozilla’s tax records, the Foundation had 60 employees in 2022. However, at the time of the layoffs, staffing had increased to nearly 120. Mozilla’s representative did not dispute this figure.
This is Mozilla’s second round of layoffs this year. Earlier, several employees involved in Firefox development were let go.
Mozilla is a multi-faceted organization, with the Mozilla Corporation responsible for developing Firefox and related technologies, while the Mozilla Foundation, a nonprofit, oversees policy direction and governance for the organization. Mozilla’s advocacy focuses on issues like privacy, inclusion, and decentralization to foster safer and more transparent online experiences.
On October 30, in an email to employees, Mozilla Foundation’s executive director, Nabiha Syed, announced that two key divisions, advocacy and global programs, would no longer operate in their previous forms. Syed emphasized that advocacy remains essential to Mozilla’s mission and will be incorporated across other areas within the organization.
Syed explained that the shift was part of an effort to unify Mozilla’s message and strengthen its strategic communication. “Our mission at Mozilla is more crucial than ever,” Syed shared in the email, expressing that putting people before profit is becoming a more challenging ideal amid widespread changes in the tech landscape.
“Moving forward means making tough decisions, even if it means letting go of previous achievements that don’t align with our future ambitions,” Syed added.
Nabiha Syed, who joined Mozilla in February, formerly led The Markup, a data journalism and investigative news platform.
This article was updated to include additional comments from Mozilla.
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