Mozilla starts consultation for implementation of dns-over-https in Firefox

Mozilla will conduct a survey among users into the use of dns-over-https in the Firefox browser. Users can submit ideas and proposals on its implementation. The implementation of DoH in particular is often still controversial.

Browser users can submit their ideas starting Thursday by emailing them to Mozilla. The consultation period lasts 45 days, until January 4 next year. Mozilla says that anyone can submit a policy vision, both users and stakeholders. The company has compiled a list of questions it wants specific answers to itself, such as how dns-over-https is implemented in a corporate environment, and whether users trust their DoH provider more than an ISP. It is not mandatory to answer those questions, but they do address the main obstacles surrounding the topic.

With dns-over-https, queries to the domain name system are encrypted with an https connection. In theory, this is more privacy-friendly, because providers can no longer see in plaintext where a user is surfing, for example. On the other hand, the implementation often uses an external provider, such as Cloudflare or Quad9. These are commercial American parties with their own revenue models. Privacy experts are therefore critical of the plans.

Mozilla was the first major provider to introduce dns-over-https for the browser last year. There was a lot of criticism, for example from companies that ran their own resolver and that was overruled by Mozilla’s implementation with Cloudflare. Other parties, such as Google and Microsoft, have also enabled dns-over-https in their browsers and operating systems, but administrators are given more options to disable or change it. Mozilla now also wants to hear how it can make that process better for both private users and businesses.