Mozilla “expected” to extend search deal with Google

Not official yet, though there is a statement from Mozilla:

"Mozilla's search partnership with Google is ongoing, with Google as the default search provider in the Firefox browser in many places around the world. We've recently extended the partnership, and the relationship isn't changing."

Personally, I'm disappointed. The financial upside is superficially positive, but it doesn't really stand up to much deeper analysis:

1. It gives google a small but perhaps important crutch against the mounting anti-trust allegations against it

2. It fundamentally compromises Mozilla. There's simply no way they can effectively promote privacy when their biggest backer is the most invasive participant in the surveillance economy

3. It removes Mozilla's "sink or swim" imperative. $450M in the bank means they have to fight a lot less hard to survive.

Fully accept I'm not the one staring at a black hole in the finances if the google gravy train went away. But I don't see this as helping the cause of the free internet; quite the opposite.