Mozilla said it is pulling support for Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) plug-ins from its Firefox browser – but has agreed that 64-bit users will be able to hang on to Microsoft’s Silverlight a little longer.
When Google removed support in Chrome it experienced few problems, except a lack of support for Silverlight which brought down several top streaming and media sites including Sky Go BT Sport.
Benjamin Smedberg, Firefox’s engineering manager, said: “As browsers and the Web have grown, NPAPI has shown its age. Plug-ins are a source of performance problems, crashes and security incidents for Web users.
“Moreover, since new Firefox platforms do not have to support an existing ecosystem of users and plug-ins, new platforms such as 64-bit Firefox for Windows will launch without plug-in support.”
