Firefox China Accounts Said to Be Shut Down

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Summary

Firefox is reportedly terminating all China-region user accounts and closing its Beijing-based subsidiary, Beijing Mozilla Online Ltd., despite no official statement from Mozilla. This impacts users who created accounts via www.firefox.com.cn, as their data is stored independently from international Firefox accounts. Affected users should immediately back up their Firefox data, including bookmarks, passwords, and the entire profile directory. The recommended migration path involves uninstalling the China version, installing the international Firefox client from www.mozilla.org, creating a new international account, and then restoring their backed-up data.

According to leaked internal notices shared online, Firefox is expected to terminate all China-region user accounts and close its China-based subsidiary, though Mozilla has yet to issue an official statement. The notice appeared briefly before being withdrawn.

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Background: Firefox’s China Presence

Firefox has operated in mainland China through Beijing Mozilla Online Ltd., a subsidiary established in March 2005 to deliver localized services tailored to Chinese users.

Accounts created via the China-specific domain (www.firefox.com.cn) are separate and incompatible with international Firefox accounts—their data is stored completely independently.

Why This Shutdown Matters

Though Mozilla China provided localized infrastructure, Firefox has a tiny market share both globally and even smaller in China.

Continuing operations in China likely offered minimal strategic or financial benefit to Mozilla Foundation  .

The Leak: Key Points from the Notice

The now-removed announcement reportedly stated that Beijing Mozilla Online would be closed and China-region Firefox accounts terminated.

The notice was briefly accessible via a link requiring special access, then suddenly pulled. The announcement is

Firefox will continue operating in China, but Beijing-based Mozilla China will be shut down and China-region Firefox accounts will be terminated. Click here to view the full notice.

However, Mozilla staff began addressing the situation on Chinese-language forums, outlining how to back up and restore account data, and summarizing issues with older versions.

What Users Should Do To Be Prepared

  1. Backup Your Firefox Data
    • Export bookmarks and passwords.
    • Manually back up your entire profile directory.
  2. Uninstall the China Version
    • If you originally installed Firefox from www.firefox.com.cn, it’s recommended to uninstall it completely after backing up.
  3. Install the International Version
    • Download Firefox from the global site (www.mozilla.org).
    • Create a new international Firefox account to sync your data.
  4. Restore or Re-Import Your Data
    • Use your backed-up profile or exported files to restore bookmarks, history, and passwords in the new installation.
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