Mozilla Firefox has plans to usher in a complete HTML5 browsing experience for all users, doing away with most Adobe Flash-based content on the web.
In a recent announcement, the company detailed how most plugins like the Flash Player tool allowed web developers to integrate interactive and engaging content on their online pages to further add variety to a web user's experience — evolving from a limited text-based era.
However, as recent times have shown, these plugins also increased the chances of random browser crashes and stability issues that gravely affected online browsing experiences. In most extreme cases, plugins also gave malicious entities an easy access to unsuspecting victims by allowing them to attack and steal confidential information without their knowing; or what we now refer to as zero-day vulnerabilities.
While plugins relatively improve online browsing features and functions, Mozilla firmly believes that the included performance and security concern is "not a trade-off [online users] should have to accept."
As such, the company has laid out plans for the coming months that will effectively remove the need for web content to use these vulnerable plugins. Firefox is expected to overhaul its base structure by completely integrating the latest HTML5 markup language or the current tech that provides the same support for what these plugins do, that is, "audio/video playback and streaming capabilities, clipboard integration, fast 2D and 3D graphics, WebSocket networking, and microphone/camera access" — only this time around, more secure and reliable.
"Over the past few years, Firefox has implemented Web APIs to replace functionality that was formerly provided only by plugins," write the browser's developers, adding that "[t]hese and future changes will bring Firefox users enhanced security, improved battery life, faster page load, and better browser responsiveness."
Once August arrives, the company will start to block Flash-based content that's actually in the background and invisible to the user, effectively improving Firefox stability by at least 10 percent. Of course, the company acknowledges the presence of web pages that have yet to port onto the newer HTML format and thus will only implement changes based on a provided list of blocked content.
In the later months, Firefox will be blocking a common practice of advertising agencies that utilize the Flash platform to measure the traffic of their advertisements. The company strongly urges these agencies to use the preferred HTML5 markup language moving forward to avoid getting their ads disabled.
In addition, the company plans to require users to decide whether or not Flash-based content on some web pages will be activated (in cases where companies will still continue to use Flash or Silverlight technologies) in the coming year. Mozilla notes that companies may opt to use Adobe Primetime or Google Widevine as an alternative for videos that require encryption.
In the long run, Firefox browsers will drop support for many plugins such as Flash, Silverlight and Java to better improve and further secure internet browsing done through its platform.
Those with concerns may contact the company directly through its available contact information.
