Mozilla has released Firefox 149 featuring an integrated VPN tool that provides up to 50 gigabytes of monthly browsing traffic for users with Mozilla accounts. Unlike the company's existing system-wide Mozilla VPN, this new browser-only feature routes traffic through a secure proxy server, effectively hiding users' locations and IP addresses. A toggle switch in the browser interface allows activation globally or on up to five specific websites to conserve data, with notifications alerting users when approaching the monthly limit.
The VPN automatically excludes certain essential services and websites to prevent account sign-in issues and ensure proper reconnection functionality. Mozilla states that only technical performance data and basic usage statistics such as connection success rates and daily data consumption are collected. The routing server is based in the United States, with location and performance factors determining optimal connections.
The feature is rolling out progressively to users in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and France, with no timeline yet announced for additional regions. Firefox 149 also introduces Split View for side-by-side tab arrangement and automatically blocks notifications from websites flagged as malicious by SafeBrowsing. The release addresses 46 security vulnerabilities, more than half rated high severity, including use-after-free flaws, out-of-bounds errors, JIT engine issues, and sandbox escape vulnerabilities.
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