ProtectedShare vs Firefox Send

Mozilla introduced Firefox Send as a free service in March 2019. You could share files up to 1 GB without an account, or up to 2.5 GB after signing up for a free Firefox Account. Files were encrypted in the browser, the sender chose when the link expired and how many downloads it allowed, an optional password added a check before download, and recipients didn't need an account. Mozilla also announced an Android app in beta.

Mozilla's own FAQ warned that very large files could strain the browser, because encryption ran locally, and suggested staying under a few hundred megabytes for the most reliable results.

In the summer of 2020, Mozilla took Send offline after some users began using it to ship malware and run spear phishing attacks. In September 2020 it announced that Send would not come back. The source code is still on GitHub under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, archived since May 2021, and Mozilla asks anyone running a copy to remove its branding.

The file drop follows the same model. Your browser encrypts the files with AES-256-GCM, in 1 MiB chunks bound to their position, and the key stays in the link after #k=. File names and types are encrypted too. You choose 1 to 100 downloads and an expiry of up to 30 days, and the drop is deleted after the last download or at expiry. Nobody needs an account.

The difference is size. A drop holds 25 MB: enough for contracts, scans, keys and config files, not for video, disk images or large archives. And unlike Send, a drop has no password option. The link is the key, so send it through a channel you trust, or put a password on a secure note instead.