Firefox Capitalizes On Privacy, States Can Now Collect Online Sales Tax

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Restarting The Firefox

It’s been 10 years since Google released Chrome and rocketed ahead of Firefox in the web browser market. But Mozilla could regain ground with a recent Firefox upgrade laser-focused on privacy or, more accurately, the lack thereof. “You give up your privacy online, and what you get in return are somewhat convenient services and hyper-targeted ads,” writes Brian Chen at The New York Times. Although there are some privacy features Chrome can accommodate if a user installs a browser extension, Firefox comes with third-party tracker blockers baked in. It’s also got a Facebook “container” users can install that prevents the social platform from monitoring web activity. More.

Spend (And Tax) And Spend

South Dakota won a Supreme Court case on Thursday guaranteeing a state’s right to collect sales tax on online retailers for transactions. The decision overrules a 1992 precedent that forbids states from collecting sales taxes unless the online retailer maintains a physical presence in the state, reports The Wall Street Journal. Big retailers have pushed for internet sales tax laws for years. It makes a big difference when you’re competing for razor-thin price margins against untaxed ecommerce players. The ruling will prompt a surge of state and federal legislative efforts to set rules on taxes, like exemptions for small businesses. In other words, eBay may pay sales taxes wherever purchases occur, whereas small merchants selling on the platform wouldn’t have to deal with cross-state laws.