Author Topic: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?  (Read 6042 times)

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Offline MrMobodiesTopic starter

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Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« on: January 25, 2019, 05:41:23 am »
I remembered some years ago about this happening on Chrome.

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/01/22/google_chrome_browser_ad_content_block_change/
Quote
By Thomas Claburn in San Francisco 22 Jan 2019 at 22:27

How many ad blocks could an ad slinger block if an ad slinger could block blocks?

Wow, fancy that. Web ad giant Google to block ad-blockers in Chrome. For safety, apparently
How many ad blocks could an ad slinger block if an ad slinger could block blocks?
By Thomas Claburn in San Francisco 22 Jan 2019 at 22:27 271  Reg comments
Chrome icon on sandy beach
Updated Google engineers have proposed changes to the open-source Chromium browser that will break content-blocking extensions, including ad blockers.

If the overhaul goes ahead, Adblock Plus and similar plugins that rely on basic filtering will, with some tweaks, still be able to function to some degree, unlike more ambitious extensions, such as uBlock Origin, which will be harder hit. The drafted changes will 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.

Content blockers may be used to hide or black-hole ads, but they have broader applications. They're predicated on the notion that users, rather than anyone else, should be able to control how their browser presents and interacts with remote resources.

Manifest v3 refers to the specification for browser extension manifest files, which enumerate the resources and capabilities available to browser extensions. Google's stated rationale for making the proposed changes, cutting off blocking plugins, is to improve security, privacy and performance, and supposedly to enhance user control.

"Users should have increased control over their extensions," the design document says. "A user should be able to determine what information is available to an extension, and be able to control that privilege."

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.

The declarativeNetRequest allows Chrome (rather than the extension itself) to decide how to handle network requests, thereby removing a possible source of bottlenecks and a potentially useful mechanism for changing browser behavior.

"The declarativeNetRequest API provides better privacy to users because extensions can't actually read the network requests made on the user's behalf," Google's API documentation explains.

Whose privacy exactly?
But "better privacy" here means privacy as defined by Google rather than privacy defined by a third-party extension developer. That's fine in scenarios where Google is more trustworthy than a third-party developer; but if Google and its ecosystem of publishers and advertisers are the problem, then users may prefer allowing a third-party to filter network requests, even to the extent such intervention interferes with webpage functionality.

"If this (quite limited) declarativeNetRequest API ends up being the only way content blockers can accomplish their duty, this essentially means that two content blockers I have maintained for years, uBlock Origin and uMatrix, can no longer exist," said Hill.

The proposed changes will diminish the effectiveness of content blocking and ad blocking extensions, though they won't entirely eliminate all ad blocking. The basic filtering mechanism supported by Adblock Plus should still be available to some degree. But uBlock Origin and uMatrix offer more extensive controls, without trying to placate publishers through ad whitelisting, and thus have a little more to lose.

Don't forget, Google and other internet advertising networks pay Adblock Plus to whitelist their online adverts. Meanwhile, Google has bunged its own basic ad blocking into its browser.


I noticed the element hiders don't work on play store (when accessed by Chrome) for extensions dealing with the fixed headers (not for the adverts) and the settings pages Chrome and that goes for other plugins I figured for "safety". I don't normally have issues with adverts anymore but it is mainly to do with other things that I use it for that annoys me.


https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130314005784/en/Adblock-Reports-Removal-Google-Play-Store-Android

Quote
Adblock Plus Reports Removal from Google Play Store; Android Customers Forced to Watch Ads
March 14, 2013 10:30

March 14, 2013 10:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time
COLOGNE, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Adblock Plus reported today that Google has removed all ad blocking apps for Android, including Adblock Plus, from the Google Play Store. Adblock Plus claims that this unilateral move by Google threatens consumer choice.

“By unilaterally removing these apps, Google is stepping all over the checks and balances that make the Internet democratic. People should be really alarmed by this move.”

Tweet this
Adblock Plus is a free ad-blocking tool that is the product of an open-source community project; it has been downloaded more than 200 million times worldwide. Adblock Plus plugs into any Chrome, Firefox, Opera or Android browser.

“I realize that advertising revenue is important to Google, but understand that Adblock Plus does not automatically block all ads; we simply allow users the choice whether to block ads or whitelist them. We even encourage advertising that is done appropriately and conforms to an Acceptable Ads policy, which is debated and decided in an open public forum,” said Till Faida, co-founder of Adblock Plus. “By unilaterally removing these apps, Google is stepping all over the checks and balances that make the Internet democratic. People should be really alarmed by this move.”

Fortunately, Android users can still download and install Adblock Plus directly from our website by going to http://adblockplus.org/en/android-about#faq.

“Google indicated that their reason for removing Adblock Plus is that it violates Section 4.4 of their Developer Distribution Agreement,” Faida continued. “But today's action is the third in a string of actions that Google has taken against our open-source product: in late February Google began forcing Android users to manually configure a proxy server in order to run Adblock Plus; in December 2012 Google re-categorized Adblock Plus in the Chrome Web store and stopped showing it in search results when users specifically looked for the extension; and when Adblock Plus re-listed as an app on December 12th, Google took it down again 12 hours later.”

Adblock Plus is the #1 most downloaded browser add-on (of any kind, not just among ad blockers) in the world.
« Last Edit: January 26, 2019, 10:30:59 pm by MrMobodies »
 

Offline Red Squirrel

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Re: Google to block Adblock... again?
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2019, 08:06:08 pm »
Looks like this only affects Chrome?  Their product their rules I guess.    I use Firefox and will continue to do so.
 
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Offline MrMobodiesTopic starter

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Re: Google to block Adblock... again?
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2019, 10:29:37 pm »
Oops I mean't Chrome sorry.

I'll change the title.
 

Offline amyk

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2019, 12:10:13 am »
Browsers are turning from user-agents into anti-user consumption interfaces. It's been disgusting to see, but not surprising given that Google owns Chrome and Firefox to a certain extent relies on their "donations". They always give "security" as a justification but what they're really securing is their control over the Internet.
 

Offline tom66

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2019, 12:12:03 am »
If Google do this, then goodbye Chrome.  Firefox will look mighty attractive.

I suspect Google will not want to rock that horse,  as they like Google users being tied into Chrome.  Losing that would be more painful than some bucks from AdSense.
 

Offline james_s

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2019, 02:27:24 am »
Fortunately there are other browsers.


Frankly I find the internet as a whole to be unusable without an ad blocker. The level of visual (and audible) noise has risen dramatically over the years. I get that people have bills to pay, but the advertising arms race has done this to themselves. It wasn't until flashy animated ads and popups got out of hand that people started going out of their way to block them.
 
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Offline ConKbot

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #6 on: January 27, 2019, 02:28:36 am »
Just like microsoft removed wildcards and subdomain blocking from hosts files.  I.e. 'douleclick.net 127.0.0.1' doesnt block ads.doubleclick.net  Time to switch to firefox, and make a pi-hole I think.
 
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Online langwadt

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2019, 02:47:34 am »
Fortunately there are other browsers.


Frankly I find the internet as a whole to be unusable without an ad blocker. The level of visual (and audible) noise has risen dramatically over the years. I get that people have bills to pay, but the advertising arms race has done this to themselves. It wasn't until flashy animated ads and popups got out of hand that people started going out of their way to block them.

and sites don't check the ads they show, they just let some third party serve up what ever pays. At this point adblock
is probably more important than antivirus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malvertising
 

Offline JPortici

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2019, 09:53:01 pm »
FYI i added the ublock extension to firefox for android... and yes, it does block ads on webpages :) no more self clicking ads bullshit
 

Offline rdl

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #9 on: January 28, 2019, 12:09:56 am »
I've always been surprised that people actually use Chrome, a browser provided by a company that makes its money from advertising. How can any good ever come from that?
 
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Offline sleemanj

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #10 on: January 28, 2019, 12:14:47 am »
Chromium exists.
~~~
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Offline cdev

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #11 on: January 28, 2019, 04:36:11 am »
There are good reasons why I don't use it.
"What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away."
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #12 on: January 28, 2019, 08:31:48 am »
I take it no one read why they’re doing this change?

Turns out the APIs used for content blocking have been used by a lot of not too honest plugins regularly installed by big names for click fraud, malicious rewriting and generally much dickery. So they’re turning them off as a security measure.

This will kill off lots of nasty and stupid shit like Nectar, a fairly innocent sounding extension that gives you supermarket points for using the web. It does this by leaking everything you click to a third party. Also it kills all the horrid “adblock” clones which manipulate your data or do fuck all or upsell you shit. This is a massive problem across the board when it comes to day to day “end user” PC maintenance.

There is an alternative which is the same as safari, edge, IE etc. This is the plugins provide a list of patterned URLs to block and the browser subscribes to them.  That keeps the plugin out of the control loop of the request processing which makes the above scenarios impossible.

Thus it’s a good thing.

But that’s assuming Google don’t disallow certain URLs being added to the lists. If they did that there would be massive outcry and they would instantly be shot by GDPR for disallowing opt out. So they won’t do that.

So everyone, chill the fuck out and stop reading tabloid rags like The Regieter.
 
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Offline amyk

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #13 on: January 28, 2019, 12:25:24 pm »
So they’re turning them off as a security measure.
Everything is done for "security". The only thing being secured is Google's profits.  ::)

Of course they're going to say it's for security ---- no one would agree if they actually told the truth.
This will kill off lots of nasty and stupid shit like Nectar, a fairly innocent sounding extension that gives you supermarket points for using the web. It does this by leaking everything you click to a third party. Also it kills all the horrid “adblock” clones which manipulate your data or do fuck all or upsell you shit. This is a massive problem across the board when it comes to day to day “end user” PC maintenance.
It's not a problem, and even if it is, it's not Google's job to decide. (Hint: what is Google's main purpose? ...the same sort of tracking "third party" that wants to know everything about you. They just want to monopolise that space.)

« Last Edit: January 28, 2019, 12:26:55 pm by amyk »
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #14 on: January 28, 2019, 12:39:13 pm »
I think you're just paranoid and this is a better privacy outcome.

It's about inverting the responsibility. Which sounds more secure to you?

1) Hire someone random to say yes/no to each URL. That person writes all the URLs down and sells them.
2) Hire someone to give you a list of URLs and you say yes/no based on whether they are on the list.

Bold thing is impossible in scenario 2.

This is security 101. Don't let PII / secure info leave your domain of responsibility.
 

Offline cdev

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #15 on: January 28, 2019, 05:13:16 pm »
Has anybody here successfully built a pared down, bare bones version of Chromium?

Not Chrome, Chromium.

If so, whats involved in doing it, what kind of build environment does it require?

I don't trust Google at all. I don't want Chromium to have privileged access to anything.

I don't trust programs that claim to isolate other programs either, unless they are ones I am already familiar with.



"What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away."
 

Offline rdl

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #16 on: January 28, 2019, 06:11:47 pm »
In my opinion, two of the biggest problems as far as internet privacy and annoyances go are JavaScript and "cookies". Unfortunately every browser I've tried has been extremely lacking as far as offering any kind of intelligent management tools for them. Use of browser extensions has become mandatory.

The way the internet is today, I won't use any browser that NoScript doesn't work with. And the entire concept of cookies needs to be rethought. I wouldn't even know where to start with that convoluted mess.
 
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Offline bd139

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #17 on: January 28, 2019, 08:01:07 pm »
Cookies are a hack because the web is some fucked up ball of crap that evolved by strapping more fluff to a turd so I agree there.
 

Offline MrMobodiesTopic starter

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #18 on: January 28, 2019, 08:06:09 pm »
In my opinion, two of the biggest problems as far as internet privacy and annoyances go are JavaScript and "cookies". Unfortunately every browser I've tried has been extremely lacking as far as offering any kind of intelligent management tools for them. Use of browser extensions has become mandatory.

The way the internet is today, I won't use any browser that NoScript doesn't work with. And the entire concept of cookies needs to be rethought. I wouldn't even know where to start with that convoluted mess.

I remembered when Alex Limi removed the Javascript option from the preferences in Firefox.

It was a little trivial as you can still do it from about:config but then it would have been good if they made a button to toggle it on/off and put into where you customize the icons and toolbars so if you want it out you can place it where you want on the toolbars rather than installing and depending on some extension to manage it.
« Last Edit: January 28, 2019, 08:09:17 pm by MrMobodies »
 

Offline jaycee

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #19 on: May 13, 2020, 11:59:35 pm »
You do realise Chromium IS Chrome, built from pretty much the same code base, just without the Google branding... right?
 

Online wraper

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #20 on: May 14, 2020, 12:08:20 am »
oh I hate Chromium
Reviving necro thread just to say this nonsense. Well done!

 

Offline jaycee

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #21 on: May 14, 2020, 12:36:00 am »
Meh. This forum showed it as a recent post. Guess i havent been here that recently! :)
 

Online Monkeh

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #22 on: May 14, 2020, 01:05:00 am »
oh I hate Chromium
Reviving necro thread just to say this nonsense. Well done!



He's a spammer bumping his post count.
 

Offline MrMobodiesTopic starter

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #23 on: May 14, 2020, 01:33:34 am »
There is Vivaldi which is based on Chrome where you can turn off all sorts of annoying things such as suggest and search in the search box. I don't like the defaults and the positioning of the bars but it can be altered by writing css script I think Userchrome.css.

One thing I don't like, on some pages, such as Google Playstore and Chromium, all Chrome extensions get ignored (but not extensions from other browser such as Firefox, or Palemoon as of yet) so all the annoying widgets and toolbars remain stuck there unless I go into developer tools and remove them manually. I wonder, they start there now how far will they go with blocking extensions... Google search, then Youtube maybe.
« Last Edit: May 14, 2020, 01:37:25 am by MrMobodies »
 

Offline Electro Detective

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Re: Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
« Reply #24 on: May 14, 2020, 02:47:31 am »
I tried all the Chrome and Chromium flavors last year, on both Win and Linux IIRC, to see what the hype was about,
and what halfassed browser code crap they were,

To be fair, they were run straight out of the box on fresh OS installs,
no Preferences or tick surfing, everything Default google jack friendly aka 'do with me what you will' big bro stuff 

really really sub average performance compared to any other generic browsers on the same test bed,
and even some legit google sites refused to load

Reinstalled the test OS because the Chromies didn't really uninstall themselves as much as I prefer


I'll wait for a Stainless Steel browser next   :popcorn:
any hyped poo may stick less and not corrode after a hose down

 


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