• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechMozilla

Mozilla Joins Google and Facebook in Phasing Out Adobe Flash

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 21, 2016, 1:18 PM ET
Mozilla Firefox Blocks Adobe Flash Due To Security Issue
BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 14: A window on the Mozilla Firefox browser shows the browser has blocked the Adobe Flash plugin from activating due to a security issue on July 14, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. According to online reports Adobe Flash is easily exploitable on several fronts by hackers, who can use Flash to gain access to a user's computer, and that so far Adobe has not yet released a fix. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)Sean Gallup—Getty Images

Another popular web browser has had it with Adobe Flash.

Mozilla said this week that it plans to gradually wean its Firefox web browser from Adobe’s (ADBE) multimedia player. In August, Firefox will no longer support “certain Flash content” that it deems “not essential to the user experience,” although Mozilla did not specify what type of Flash content it was referring to.

Mozilla will still support “legacy Flash content” for an unspecified time, but the company urged websites that use Flash or Microsoft (MSFT) Silverlight, another multimedia web player similar to Flash, for their videos or online games to adopt newer “HTML technologies as soon as possible.”

In May, Google (GOOG) detailed its plans to end support of Flash for its Chrome web browser, and it hopes to completely rid itself of Flash advertisements by the beginning of 2017.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Google, like Adobe, is urging website operators to switch to the HTML5 coding language to display multimedia like video on their sites.

Flash is notoriously buggy and prone to many security vulnerabilities. Firefox believes that by ending support for Flash, its users will see “enhanced security, improved battery life, faster page load, and better browser responsiveness.”

Still, Mozilla is not totally cutting ties with Adobe. Mozilla said it would “continue to work closely with Adobe to deliver the best possible Flash experience for our users” as it phases the multimedia player out, and said that an engineering partnership between the two companies has improved some performance and stability in Firefox when it displays Flash content.

For more about cybersecurity, watch:

Last summer, Facebook’s (FB) chief security officer Alex Stamos urged Adobe via Twitter to disable Flash because of its security vulnerabilities.

In April, Adobe issued an emergency update to Flash after security researchers found a flaw that allowed hackers to distribute so-called ransomware to owners of Microsoft Windows personal computers. Ransomware is basically a form of malware that lets hackers block people from accessing their computer or related computer networks so that a hacker can demand payment in return for access.

In 2010, legendary Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs wrote a 1,700 word essay on Flash and why Apple’s problems with the multimedia player, which he claimed hurt the “reliability and security of our iPhones, iPods and iPads.”

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Apple CEO Tim Cook wearing a white polo shirt and throwing up a peace sign
Big TechApple
Apple won’t be the same in 2026. Meet the company’s next generation of leaders and rising stars after its biggest executive exodus in years
By Dave SmithDecember 8, 2025
25 minutes ago
Successphilanthropy
Craigslist founder signs the Giving Pledge, and his fortune will go to military families, fighting cyberattacks—and a pigeon rescue
By Sydney LakeDecember 8, 2025
2 hours ago
Streaming
Big TechStreaming
Netflix-Warner deal would drive streaming market further down the road of ‘Big 3’ domination
By David R. King and The ConversationDecember 8, 2025
2 hours ago
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
SuccessCareers
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says people need to find success in traditional factory jobs again: ‘Every successful person doesn’t need to have a PhD’
By Emma BurleighDecember 8, 2025
2 hours ago
Paramount
Big TechM&A
Next shoe in Netflix-WBD saga drops as Paramount launches hostile bid that includes Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 8, 2025
3 hours ago
Google.org
CommentaryTech
Nonprofits are solving 21st century problems—they need 21st century tech
By Maggie Johnson and Shannon FarleyDecember 8, 2025
4 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Real Estate
The 'Great Housing Reset' is coming: Income growth will outpace home-price growth in 2026, Redfin forecasts
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Supreme Court to reconsider a 90-year-old unanimous ruling that limits presidential power on removing heads of independent agencies
By Mark Sherman and The Associated PressDecember 7, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Nvidia CEO says data centers take about 3 years to construct in the U.S., while in China 'they can build a hospital in a weekend'
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The most likely solution to the U.S. debt crisis is severe austerity triggered by a fiscal calamity, former White House economic adviser says
By Jason MaDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
12 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says Europe has a 'real problem’
By Katherine Chiglinsky and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.