Is it becoming a truism that (in this space) the profit motive will inevitably lead to user abuse?

Maybe we need more 501c3 and benefit corps providing basic stuff like an internet browser?

Nationalize new browsers and OSes' development, or subsidize them. Governments do it with things like energy, space tech aviation and even telecom, but surprisingly not their software foundation.

I guess the French would be in a position to do so.

They've already adopted some infrastructure software projects into their governmental operations, not only using them, but also participating and maintaining them.

They also have many initiatives mandating the use of open source where applicable, and also suggestions of liability for closed source software by law. Harr! Unheard of! Those naughty Gauls!

cough Mozilla is dead in the water cough

The mozilla Foundation doesn't provide their browser, the mozilla for-profit subsidiary corporation does.

And the clients pay the companies. When we ll start buying browsers they ll stop tracking us

I'd be willing to bet whichever paid browser popped up would both still keep the telemetry _and_ fuck us with subscription based, you-won't-ever-own-your-browser payment scheme.

Unlikely. I can't name even 1 major paid for product that doesn't have telemetry and other forms of tracking.

Perhaps, but they will still optimize to maximize sales then, i.e. do what sells to as many people as possible, not what is good for you (an advanced user in particular). In fact I'm Okay with Firefox but would rather pay for a good alternative to Facebook where I would be a customer rather than a commodity.