Mozilla has finally ended its partnership with Onerep, an identity protection service offered through the Firefox web browser that promised to remove users from hundreds of people-search sites. The move comes after a year of controversy surrounding Onerep's founder, who was found to be secretly running multiple people-search and data-broker sites.
What Happened
In March 2024, Mozilla announced it was winding down its collaboration with Onerep due to concerns over the company's practices. However, despite this announcement, Mozilla continued to promote Onerep for another 16 months. This week, Mozilla officially ended its partnership with Onerep and will discontinue Monitor Plus, a service that offered data broker site scans and automated personal data removal from Onerep.
Monitor Plus subscribers will retain full access through the wind-down period, which ends on December 17, 2025. After that, they will automatically receive a prorated refund for the unused portion of their subscription. Mozilla stated that it explored several options to keep Monitor Plus going but found it challenging to consistently deliver the level of value and reliability expected by its users.
Background and Context
In March 2024, KrebsOnSecurity published an investigation revealing that Onerep's Belarusian CEO and founder Dimitiri Shelest had created dozens of people-search services since 2010. One of these services was a still-active data broker called Nuwber, which sells background reports on people. Shelest acknowledged maintaining an ownership stake in Nuwber, a data broker he founded in 2015 around the same time he launched Onerep.
This revelation raised concerns about the integrity and transparency of Onerep's services. Mozilla's continued promotion of Onerep despite these findings has sparked debate within the industry about the importance of vendor vetting and the need for stricter regulations on data brokers.
Why It Matters to the Industry
The controversy surrounding Onerep highlights the challenges faced by companies in the adult industry when it comes to protecting user data. The proliferation of people-search services and data brokers poses a significant threat to user privacy, making it essential for companies to prioritize vendor vetting and transparency.
Mozilla's decision to end its partnership with Onerep sends a strong message about the importance of accountability in the industry. It also underscores the need for companies to be proactive in addressing concerns over data protection and vendor integrity.
What Comes Next
Mozilla has stated that it will continue to offer its free Monitor data breach service, which is integrated into Firefox's credential manager. The company is also focused on integrating more of its privacy and security experiences in Firefox, including its VPN, for free.
This move is significant for the adult industry, as it highlights the importance of prioritizing user data protection and transparency. Companies in the industry would do well to take note of Mozilla's decision and prioritize vendor vetting and accountability in their own operations.
Key Facts
- Mozilla has ended its partnership with Onerep, an identity protection service offered through Firefox.
- The move comes after a year of controversy surrounding Onerep's founder, who was found to be secretly running multiple people-search and data-broker sites.
- Monitor Plus subscribers will retain full access until December 17, 2025, when the service will be discontinued.
- Mozilla will offer a prorated refund for unused Monitor Plus subscriptions after the wind-down period ends.
- The company is focused on integrating more of its privacy and security experiences in Firefox, including its VPN, for free.
- Onerep's founder, Dimitiri Shelest, was found to have created dozens of people-search services since 2010, including a still-active data broker called Nuwber.
