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Google to restrict ad-blockers in Chrome (update: Google have relaxed the proposed changes, 'all of these changes are still in the draft stage')

Axe

Axe

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,774
United Kingdom
Much more info on this in the article: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/01/22/google_chrome_browser_ad_content_block_change/
Google engineers have proposed changes to the open-source Chromium browser that will break content-blocking extensions, including various ad blockers.

Adblock Plus will most likely not be affected, though similar third-party plugins will, for reasons we will explain. The drafted changes will also limit the capabilities available to extension developers, ostensibly for the sake of speed and safety. Chromium forms the central core of Google Chrome, and, soon, Microsoft Edge.

In a note posted Tuesday to the Chromium bug tracker, Raymond Hill, the developer behind uBlock Origin and uMatrix, said the changes contemplated by the Manifest v3 proposal will ruin his ad and content blocking extensions, and take control of content away from users.
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But one way Google would like to achieve these goals involves replacing the webRequest API with a new one, declarativeNetRequest.
The webRequest API allows browser extensions, like uBlock Origin, to intercept network requests, so they can be blocked, modified, or redirected. This can cause delays in web page loading because Chrome has to wait for the extension. In the future, webRequest will only be able to read network requests, not modify them.
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This is a key point to note: Google and other internet advertising networks apparently pay Adblock Plus to whitelist their online adverts, hence the special love for this particular plugin – and the middle finger to everyone else. Meanwhile, Google has bunged its own basic ad blocking into its browser.

Several other developers commenting on the proposed change expressed dismay, with some speculating that Google is using privacy as a pretext for putting the interests of its ad business over those of browser users.
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grmlin

grmlin

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,324
Germany
I will keep using Chrome as my development browser, but I switched to Firefox recently and it's really good. We need more than one browser engine in this world!
 
Jonnax

Jonnax

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,939
Mozendo said:
It affects uBlock Origin? Damn.
Any good browser/forks recommendations?
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Firefox. Everything else is based on chromium or follow google's code.


Try the developer edition, it gets improvements faster than the standard releases:
https://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/developer/

A lot of people online talk about the Brave browser. Which is based on Chromium but it has a model where they replace website's adverts with their own.
It's headed by the old Mozilla CEO that stepped down after the backlash he garnered by contributing money to an anti gay marriage complain, so it makes me wonder if it's tech libertarians fighting for the "oppressed little guy"
 
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Norwegian_Imposter

Norwegian_Imposter

Circumventing a ban with an alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,757
I use Firefox and safari and I am perfectly happy with that arrangement. Firefox is dope.
 
GS_Dan

GS_Dan

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,986
Have only been using uBlock for a few months, but much prefer it to Adblock. This might be the thing that finally makes me ditch Chrome.
 
Laser Man

Laser Man

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,683
What about Vivaldi ? Based on chromium too, will it break also? (I should never have left Firefefox if that's the case)
 
Eila

Eila

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,943
Firefox to have an unlikely comeback in 2019. I switched to Chrome like 8 years ago. I think I can survive the chromecalypse.
 
Skade

Skade

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,885
Well, i was already considering getting rid of Chrome, guess the moment has come.
 
ListeningGarden

ListeningGarden

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,499
Mr. Snuffleupagus said:
"Adblock Plus will most likely not be affected"

Good.
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This isn't good - Google is funneling users towards an 'optional' adblocker that has their own vested interests in mind thanks to some Big Money trading hands behind the scenes. Google and other ad giants are allowed through ABP's protections automatically, rather than keep the user's complete safety and security at the forefront of the extension's function. The limitations in place would allow a blocklist total of about 30,000 entries, not to mention the technical constraints forcing said blocklists to be in a very specific syntax that Adblock Plus is compatible with. uBlock Origin's basic filterset approaches nearly 130,000 without additional lists added by the user.

It is fairly transparent, but sadly has been a long time coming. Google once planned removing ad blocking extensions from the Chrome store until significant outcry from the community made them reconsider. They played the long game and are trying again, in a different way.
 
Atom Heart Mother

Atom Heart Mother

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,301
new jersey
Still completely baffled why people still use Chrome. If you're concerned about privacy, using Chrome is like letting the thieves live in your house. Use Firefox. It's gotten crazy good updates in the past ~2 years and I've been using it since 2007.
RestEerie said:
So are we supposed to use bing & vimeo then?
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You can use DuckDuckGo, there was a good YouTube alternative that took videos from YT but blocked Ads and views for the video, and the video wouldn't be in your history or recommends.
 
Freezasaurus

Freezasaurus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
57,053
I was never big on Chrome to begin with. It seemed like an alright browser but I've always preferred Firefox.
 
A Robot

A Robot

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
433
I think the title is dishonest. The original proposal seems to be more about their bad implementation of the webRequest API, not about ad-blockers.
 
shnitzel

shnitzel

Member
Dec 3, 2017
733
I switched to Chrome from Firefox (many) years ago, because big gif and pictures threads on the old forum always crashed Firefox. Looks like i have to go back 🤔.
 

Deleted member 8118

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
3,639
I've been annoyed by Chrome's performance, so that plus this recent news will make the move to Firefox much easier + they're much more developer friendly.

For those who question why people use Chrome, it is connected to all of Google's ecosystem and it acts in the form of its own portable operating system on PCs foreign to your use.
 
funky

funky

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,527
"ostensibly for the sake of speed and safety"




WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPKE USE BLOCKERS IN THE FIRST PLACE!
 
Atom Heart Mother

Atom Heart Mother

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,301
new jersey
M52B28 said:
I've been annoyed by Chrome's performance, so that plus this recent news will make the move to Firefox much easier + they're much more developer friendly.

For those who question why people use Chrome, it is connected to all of Google's ecosystem and it acts in the form of its own portable operating system on PCs foreign to your use.
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I've never used ChromeOS, and I frequently use a Chromebook at school. I got rid of that botnet instantly and threw on a Linux distro. It improved the experience IMO
 
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