Firefox to mark all Java versions as unsafe

The popular plugin Java, still required for many sites and web apps, will be marked as unsafe in Firefox starting with Firefox 24. This decision is a result of the many security flaws that have been found in Java over the years, and Oracle’s ‘poor response times’ to these threats.

Mozilla appear to have come to the conclusion that enough is enough with Java, and that it can never be considered ‘safe’ for users. Firefox is pinning its future on increased HTML5 use on websites. While for big companies, this isn’t really an issue, small businesses that use Java in their websites may find it harder to make the switch to newer technologies.

Google Chrome is also dropping support for some web plugins, so by the end of 2014 it will not support things like Microsoft Silverlight, Unity and even Google Earth. However, Mozilla’s approach seems more radical, and could result in users moving to Chrome or other browsers which are currently more permissive with plugins and security.

Read more about Firefox:

• Hands on with Mozilla’s Firefox OS
• Firefox 24 released, brings WebRTC support and “quickshare”
• Firefox for Windows 8 Modern UI delayed
• Firefox 23 arrives with new logo, share button