Mozilla will be retiring the Mozilla Location Service

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Perceived importance of MLS

  • Many see MLS as critical infrastructure for FOSS and de‑Googled environments: used by microG, Geoclue, KDE Plasma’s Night Colors, and non‑Google Android ROMs.
  • It provided free, high‑quality WiFi/cell/Bluetooth‑based geolocation similar to commercial offerings, without Google/Qualcomm terms.
  • Others argue it was niche, assumed already dead, and that desktops rarely need precise geolocation beyond IP‑based lookup.

GPS vs network-based location

  • One camp says raw GPS (especially on older or de‑Googled phones) is slow, unreliable, and battery‑hungry without network assistance; network location services are “vital.”
  • Another camp calls this outdated/FUD: modern multi‑frequency GNSS (GPS, Galileo, etc.) locks quickly, often even indoors.
  • Nuanced view: GPS can work alone but AGPS and network data dramatically improve time‑to‑first‑fix; user expectations make “cold GNSS only” a poor experience on phones.

Impact on users and projects

  • De‑Googled Android and microG users are hit hard; newer microG versions rely solely on MLS.
  • Linux desktops/laptops using Geoclue lose automatic time‑zone and location features; some used MLS for blue‑light filters, weather, wallpapers.
  • Several report MLS data had been growing stale for years, with incorrect locations after people moved WiFi gear.

Patents, Skyhook, and shutdown rationale

  • Thread consensus: a Skyhook patent claim forced Mozilla into technical changes that made MLS unsustainable.
  • Skyhook’s patents on RF triangulation/WiFi geolocation are widely viewed as overbroad and “troll‑like”; Qualcomm’s acquisition raises questions about enforcement.
  • Some wonder how Google/Apple operate similar services—whether via licensing or different implementations (unclear).

Privacy, safety, and data release

  • An MLS contributor explains they wanted to open the WiFi DB but couldn’t due to privacy/liability:
    • Prior lawsuits over WiFi mapping.
    • “Stalker” risk: tracking someone by their AP’s MAC after a move.
  • Opt‑out via SSID suffixes like _nomap / _optout was honored.
  • Proposed mitigations included requiring multiple nearby MACs and SSIDs, hashing MAC/SSID pairs, and GeoIP‑based filters to limit poisoning and stalking, but not all were implemented.

Alternatives and Mozilla strategy

  • Suggested replacements: cell‑tower‑only microG backend; Apple WiFi backend plugin (proprietary, possibly unmaintained).
  • Firefox’s one‑time geo‑lookup for default search will move from MLS to a GeoIP‑based “classify‑client.”
  • Broader criticism that Mozilla repeatedly kills useful tech while depending heavily on search‑deal revenue from a major browser competitor; others stress this is a normal commercial arrangement, not direct control.