Here's what's happening to ad blockers in Google Chrome
Here's what's happening to ad blockers in Google Chrome
An explanation of Manifest V3, why it matters, and what uBlock Origin is doing about it.
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 completely ignores the collateral damage
I don't think so. I try to not be overly "conspiratorially minded" but I'd 100% believe in a millisecond that the "collateral damage" is the point all along here. Google is pushing constantly for more control and this is just another item in the long-ass list. After massive pushback on Manifest 3, they "cancelled" it a while back and now they're right back pushing it again.
I'm honestly surprised that YouTube hasn't enforced DRM all these years. Is it that technically complex?
Yeah it is because they have to adhere to Web standards which are implemented by browsers and there are multiple browsers.
Herein lies the strategy of Google.
First you get a browser that has huge market dominance. Simultaneously you gain influence over competitors browsers. Simultaneously you get influence over the standards you have to adhere to in order to build a Web browser. Once you have all of that you slowly tighten the noose until only your browser exists and it is now the defacto "Internet app".
Once you own the entry point to the Web the www pretty much becomes yours.
It's monopoly and regulatory capture all at once.
Don't be fooled - Google will do everything they can to take control of the Internet and sure everyone is accessing it through their entry points, and they'll do it so slowly and subtly that no one notices. You think this is gonna be on CNN anytime soon? Nope.
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.
There are malicious extensions found in the chrome web store pretty frequently, and if I was making one, I would definitely use the API that lets me man-in-the-middle all network requests. So google’s statement that 40% or whatever of malicious extensions use that API seems plausible to me.
You could definitely make the argument that Google should just do a better job of reviewing extensions, but that alone also wouldn’t be a 100% solution. Google definitely messed up with the original rule limits, though. If chrome is more optimized then surely it must be able to handle just as many (if not more) rules than uBO.
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.
Permanently Deleted
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
I did say the element zapper was missing.
I didn't mention the zapper. Though I agree that is a great tool, along with the picker which is then probably also gone.
uBO Lite is using the same default filterlists as uBO
Uses the same defaults, which are only updated after a new release gets through google's addon review process, in an environment where often quick changes are needed for the addon to work effectively. Its much easier to get thorugh a firewall that is only updated once every few or even more days, than one that automatically obtains the updates every half a day.
What about the lists that are not enabled by default, and custom lists added by the user? As I understand, they are not a thing anymore.
Did I understand it right that that according to this and this FAQ entry, neither of the lists have site specific rules, as it is not possible to have them anymore?
Ok so the adblock situation on chrome might get worse, but it might not be as bad as bad as some anticipated.
But is there any advantage of using chrome?
Right off the top of my head I can think of two:
- best chance sites are working as intended, including DRM compatibility
- probably best integration with streaming solutions and integration with other apps
See the problem with despite googles intention of protecting their own ads is that now users in theory can't block all of Googles competing ad networks due to the limited filter rules.