So much for privacy? I understand they say they only do this in broad terms and without tracking specifically, but i dont think a browser tracking this kind of data from their users is fair, if not i would just be using chrome.

Saying that you can just disable it is the cherry on top, something like this should be opt in, not opt out

First 90% of post: We collect more data now

Last 10%: Also here's a feature to prevent other companies from collecting as much data

Mozilla is a for-profit company and is bound to enshittify just like any other for-profit company. Tracking, ads, and a focus on unnecessary bullshit like Pocket and recommendations have long indicated that Mozilla doesn't give a shit about the user. They want to shove AI in the browser just like all the others. Unfortunately, the best browser is still Firefox, but at least use a privacy focused fork like LibreWolf that also strips Mozilla's other bullshit away rather than using Firefox straight up.

I switched to https://librewolf.net/ a bit ago

I'm not inherently against anonymised and aggregated data collection by services and organisations I support. I understand that it is difficult to compete in the tech industry without this, and in the case of Firefox I believe it is very important that they continue to survive as a mainstream alternative to Google's market monopoly (even if things are trending in the wrong direction). I also understand that opt-out makes a lot more sense than opt-in for this kind of tracking, since opt-in would significantly reduce and skew the amount of data they had access to and limit its ability to improve the product. However, I think their explanation here is a poor one:

Having an understanding of what types of searches happen most frequently will give us a better understanding of what’s important to our users, without giving us additional insight into individual browsing preferences. This helps us take a step forward in providing a browsing experience that is more tailored to your needs, without us stepping away from the principles that make us who we are.

Again, I understand that it's not always possible to provide an explanation that is as transparent and detailed as some users may want, but you need to do better than this. I am struggling to see how my browsing experience can be improved through this type of data collection. I don't want or need a browser that is "tailored to my needs", and that type of language sounds privacy-invasive to me. If you genuinely believe that what you have planned is going to improve my experience then you need to do a better job of explaining that before you ask me to provide more data.

Where's the "Just use FF" Bros on this one?

Easily toggled off in the settings. This is a big nothing-burger. Come on people...

It's the same setting you use to turn off general telemetry. Chances are you've already disabled this. So can we stop crying about it? Literally nothing changed if you already turned telemetry off in settings.

Oh FFS, we want to tailor you experience? Totally unnecesary and how would that make my browsing better?