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Google to block Adblock from Chrome... again?
MrMobodies:
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.
--- End quote ---
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.”
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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.
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Red Squirrel:
Looks like this only affects Chrome? Their product their rules I guess. I use Firefox and will continue to do so.
MrMobodies:
Oops I mean't Chrome sorry.
I'll change the title.
amyk:
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.
tom66:
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.
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