Pocket began life not as a Mozilla product but as a standalone service called "Read It Later," launched in 2007 by developer Nate Weiner. The service was designed to help users save web content for later consumption, addressing the growing problem of information overload in the digital age. In 2012, the company rebranded as "Pocket," introducing a more streamlined interface and expanding its functionality beyond simple bookmarking.

Mozilla acquired Pocket in February 2017 as part of its strategy to diversify beyond the Firefox browser. The acquisition came during a period of significant mobile technology evolution, with smartphones becoming increasingly central to how people consumed online content. Under Mozilla's ownership, Pocket continued to develop as a cross-platform service that allowed users to save articles, videos, and other content from the web for viewing later, even offline. The service became integrated into Firefox as a native feature, expanding its reach to millions of additional users before the recently announced shutdown.

With Pocket shutting down, users have until October 8, 2025, to export their saved content before it's permanently deleted. To export your data, visit https://getpocket.com/export, ensure your account has a valid email address, and click the "Export HTML file" button.12 You'll receive an email with a download link within 24 hours (though it may take up to 7 days for larger accounts), and this link remains active for 48 hours.2

The export process has recently changed - while Mozilla's documentation mentions HTML exports, users now receive a zipped CSV file containing URLs of saved items, including tags and timestamps.3 The export includes all your saves, archives, and favorites, though it doesn't extract the actual text of saved articles or selectively export specific items.2 For Pocket Premium users, monthly renewals have ceased immediately, and annual subscribers will automatically receive prorated refunds after July 8, 2025.1 If you're looking for alternatives, services like Glasp offer dedicated importers for your Pocket highlights and notes to continue your learning journey without interruption.4

Mozilla has announced that Fakespot, its AI-powered tool for analyzing the authenticity of online product reviews, will shut down on July 1, 2025.12 The closure affects all aspects of the service, including browser extensions, mobile applications, and the website.3 Additionally, the Review Checker feature in Firefox, which is powered by Fakespot technology, will be disabled earlier, on June 10, 2024.45

The shutdown comes just two years after Mozilla acquired Fakespot in 2023, with the company stating that "while the idea resonated, it didn't fit a model we could sustain."67 Mozilla originally purchased Fakespot "to help people navigate unreliable product reviews using AI and privacy-first tech," but now plans to redirect resources to other projects that better align with users' evolving needs.64 Users who relied on Fakespot to identify fake reviews, inflated ratings, and fraudulent sellers on e-commerce platforms should begin exploring alternative tools for verifying online shopping information.4