You keep saying “Mozilla (Google)” and asserting that Mozilla is a Google project. Mozilla is not a Google project and Mozilla and Google are completely different corporations. Just because Google is Mozilla’s biggest source of revenue doesn’t mean that Google and Mozilla are the same or that Mozilla is Google’s project.
FYI: Approximately 80% of Mozilla’s revenue is from Google. This revenue is attributed to Google.com being the default search engine in Firefox.
Furthermore, “Mozilla” is really two corporations: The “Mozilla Corporation” and the “Mozilla Foundation”. The “Mozilla Corporation” is a subsidiary of the “Mozilla Foundation” and the “Mozilla Foundation” is a 501.c.3 (charitable non-profit) and all profits from the “Mozilla Corporation” are dedicated to the Mozilla project.
Personally, I trust a non-profit company to a far greater extent than I trust for-profit companies … like Purism … since their actions are not necessarily guided by profit. The Mozilla Foundation is guided by their “Mozilla Manifesto” ( Mozilla Manifesto - Wikipedia ):
- The internet is an integral part of modern life—a key component in education, communication, collaboration, business, entertainment and society as a whole.
- The internet is a global public resource that must remain open and accessible.
- The internet must enrich the lives of individual human beings.
- Individuals’ security and privacy on the internet are fundamental and must not be treated as optional.
- Individuals must have the ability to shape the internet and their own experiences on it.
- The effectiveness of the internet as a public resource depends upon interoperability (protocols, data formats, content), innovation and decentralized participation worldwide.
- Free and open source software promotes the development of the internet as a public resource.
- Transparent community-based processes promote participation, accountability and trust.
- Commercial involvement in the development of the internet brings many benefits; a balance between commercial profit and public benefit is critical.
- Magnifying the public benefit aspects of the internet is an important goal, worthy of time, attention and commitment.
I don’t find it outrageous. I don’t like the fact that the URL line is confused with the Search line. But given that it is, the browser is really the owner of what to do with what is typed there (go to a URL or hand it off to your search engine … or something else). IMO for search, you really should be searching from your engine’s home page. e.g. You should bookmark and go to https://search.brave.com to enter any search text. That’s just me. But that’s why I don’t find it outrageous.