While the article is from 2017, the relevance is high today.

Large adtech companies are coalescing and supporting a single browser framework that gives them a modicum of control around how adblockers are integrated into the extensions, while also funding directly or indirectly realistic browser competition through Firefox (sorry Brave and Vivaldi... still a ways to go market share-wise). The economist in me thinks there is formal and informal coordination to make this ad "market" exist (no one wants ads, really, they want search engines with relevant results) and there is exercise in market power to the detriment of businesses purchasing advertising (and waste to society writ large).

> still a ways to go market share-wise

Brave is already at 60+ million MAU. It's already 1/4 of the market share from Firefox. Brave's market share is rising, Firefox is declining.

If there is one horse to bet here, it is Brave. Sticking with Firefox is just playing "controlled opposition" right now.

Brave advocates should spend most of their energy going after Chrome and Safari users. If Brave can convert them better than Firefox can (which, sadly, seems to be quite a low bar), they'll overtake soon enough.

Attempting to convert Firefox users is not a long term strategy, and doesn't do as much or anything to create a better web.

I had been using Firefox for something like 15 years before I switched to Brave a few months ago. I was really skeptical of the crypto stuff Brave was doing and I still am, but at least they're innovating and trying different financing models. Meanwhile Firefox spent the last few years removing features that kept me using it over Chrome: rss, compact density, bookmark descriptions, etc. On top of that Mozilla gets 90% of their money from Google, and they still don't have a way to donate directly to Firefox, the only option is to donate to Mozilla and watch them spend most of the money on silly things like Pocket and other wasteful initiatives, while the people in charge just line their pockets.

Now you don't have to abandon Firefox because of their dumb UI decisions anymore.