In March 2024, Mozilla announced its intention to wind down its collaboration with Onerep, an identity protection service offered with the Firefox web browser. However, sixteen months later, Mozilla is still promoting Onerep and plans to end their partnership next month.
Background on Onerep
Onerep promised to remove users from hundreds of people-search sites, but this claim was later debunked by KrebsOnSecurity. The founder, Dimitiri Shelest, had been involved in launching dozens of people-search services since 2010, including a still-active data broker called Nuwber that sells background reports on people.
Mozilla’s Decision to Discontinue Monitor Plus
In a statement published Tuesday, Mozilla announced the discontinuation of Monitor Plus, which offered data broker site scans and automated personal data removal from Onerep. The company stated they will continue to offer their free Monitor data breach service integrated into Firefox’s credential manager.
Impact on Users
Current Monitor Plus subscribers will retain full access through the wind-down period, which ends on December 17, 2025. After that, those subscribers will automatically receive a prorated refund for the unused portion of their subscription.
Mozilla’s Justification
Mozilla explained they explored several options to keep Monitor Plus going but faced challenges due to high standards for vendors and the realities of the data broker ecosystem. They found it difficult to consistently deliver the level of value and reliability expected by their users.
Mozilla Monitor. Image Mozilla Monitor Plus video on Youtube.
Conclusion
Mozilla’s continued promotion of Onerep and its subsequent decision to discontinue Monitor Plus highlights the challenges in ensuring trustworthiness in cybersecurity services. Users are advised to exercise caution when choosing identity protection services and to stay informed about potential risks.