- cross-posted to:
- technology@beehaw.org
- cross-posted to:
- technology@beehaw.org
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How conveniently the author had failed to mention all the downsides of uBlock Origin Lite. At least they have given a link to the page that explains the differences, but they still write like “it’s nothing major” because “I haven’t seen any difference”. Yes, because 1. you’re blind! 2. you care only about blocking ads, not trackers and data mining, which activities are not visible on the website itself!
I did say the element zapper was missing. uBO Lite is using the same default filterlists as uBO, which includes some trackers: https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uAssets
This article replaces the “Google is cracking down on ad blockers” mantra with “Google is consolidating control by restricting general purpose computing as the model of security”.
Honestly, I’m not sure this is a better look. It’s true that this is “more secure”, in the sense that it limits the power afforded to malicious extensions, but it completely ignores the collateral damage. It strips the power individuals have to enact their own policies, instead having to go through Google to accomplish the same thing.
Honestly, this is just another step in the direction of WebDRM and centralized control. This is more erosion of what made the Internet great. It’s just one more step of turning the Internet into a TV set.
Fuck. This. Shit. Give me back web 1.0.
It’s incredibly easy to see these changes as Google clamping down on ad blockers to protect its monopoly in online advertising. I don’t think that’s necessarily the case: Google knows as well as I do that a total crackdown would give governments like the European Union and United States more ammo for antitrust lawsuits. It would also be a motivator for more people to switch browsers, which would weaken Google’s browser monopoly. The stated claims about security benefits also make sense…
If Google wanted to crack down on adblockers without risking an antitrust lawsuit in the EU, they might look to introduce features that undermine adblockers as a plausibly unintended side effect of some other valid goal, like security. That’s what this looks like. Without access to internal communications no one can prove that Google intended the effect on adblockers, but it’s certainly convenient for them, while plausibly deniable.
What is the point of your comment? Everybody and their grandmother (including the bycicles and the EU) understands the point of Google’s changes. There’s no need to prove shit. Chrome is a choice, doesn’t come on any platforms as default (that support extensions). Personally I changed back to FF when they first announced these changes a few years back.
Also FF will be affected by V3 and require some changes to avoid V3, at least if Mozilla can leave the contract, as intended, with Google as the main sponsor until 2024, otherwise it will have to abide by its conditions. The only which can’t avoid it, is the user of Chrome itself. The devs of most other companies are already working to show the middlefinger to Google, in the EU anyway. Vivaldi has an inbuild ad/trackerblocker which can use remote lists that are not affected, out of reach of Google, no need of the Chrome Store for this, also no need of Tampermonkey, Greasymonkey u other extensions to install scripts as extensions itself, if needed.
Implemeting support for v3 is not the same as dropping web request blocking API from v2… Google pays to Mozilla for service they provide having them as default search engine - it’s not a sponsorship…
Saying that, I’ve done some more recent research and Google has already softened their stance on requests blocking with current manifesto proposal of up to 5k dynamic rules with a proposal to extend up to 30k being popular.Sources: https://developer.chrome.com/blog/improvements-to-content-filtering-in-manifest-v3/ proposal: https://github.com/w3c/webextensions/issues/319#issuecomment-1682073791
Well, Mozilla recive money from Google, not only to use it as default search engine, it’s way deeper, so Mozilla send data to Alphabet, googleanalytics and googletagmanager, as said, if you create an account in Mozilla, Google also receive this data.
The Firefox save browsing API is also from Google, the same which also in the Cromiums, which in Vivaldi can be desactivated in the settings, like other Google APIs left to the user choice. Extern sponsores never are a good idea, it gives other the power to make decisions for the own brand. I hope that Mozilla manages to finish this contract next year, as intended.
Yes, Google can limit the lists which use adblocker extensions, eg uBO, but not the lists itself used by others. Anyone can use the filterlist he want. I think that also FF will be forced in the future to use an inbuild adblocker.
To be clear Google has no direct way to force FF to do shit. The reason Google is implementing v3 is to disrupt adblocking (by dropping v2 APIs) the reason Mozilla is supporting v3 is to make life easier for extension Devs. They don’t have to comply with same restrictions
Mozilla don’t make life easier for the devs, these must anyway change to V3, yes or yes, or their extensions will stop working and die, that simple.
