Mozilla has announced it is ending access to Mozilla Location Service (MLS), which provides accurate, privacy-respecting, and crowdsourced geolocation data.
Developers and 3rd-party projects that use MLS to detect a users’ location, such as the freedesktop.org location framework GeoClue, which is used by apps like GNOME Maps and Weather, have only a few months left to continue using the service.
New API access keys will not be granted going forward (and pending requests deleted), Mozilla say. In late March, POST data submissions will return 403 responses. Finally, on June 12, all 3rd-party API keys will be removed and MLS data only accessible by Mozilla.
We knew cuts were coming from Mozilla’s new CEO the axe has fallen ruthlessly quick on this.
MLS offers a free, open-source platform for developers to integrate location detection features into their apps or projects on devices that lack GPS hardware. This is achieved by utilizing Wi-Fi access points/BSSIDs and Bluetooth beacons, among other signals.
Unlike most competing geolocation services, MLS operates without raising privacy concerns.
However, the accuracy of MLS has diminished in recent years.
In 2019, in response to patent infringement claims, Mozilla agreed to a settlement to avoid litigation. This settlement forced Mozilla to alter MLS, impacting its capacity to invest in and enhance the service.
Finding a new direction
With Mozilla staging a stoppage in MLS, we are left to consider the future of GeoClue, a binding element in many of open-source applications and Linux desktop environments.
However, it’s not all dire, GeoClue is equipped with versatility. Its ability to support numerous location detection methods, IP-based included, means it won’t abruptly cease to function by June — and this is heartening news.
Nonetheless, I’d venture to speculate that GeoClue’s maintenance team will likely seek an MLS substitute. One potential alternative could be Google’s location services. Arguably, this could raise some eyebrows in the open-source community, and, from a non-developer’s perspective, it’s uncertain whether its API is completely free for use.
However, the unfortunate truth remains that there are scarce choices for free, open-source, privacy-conscious, accurate, and significantly, for a framework integrated into Linux desktops, reliable alternatives to Mozilla Location Services. This service has established an enormous signal map to accurately determine locations.
This makes its discontinuation all the more disappointing for open-source software.