Google’s campaign against ad blockers across its services just got more aggressive. According to a report by PC World, the company has made some alterations to its extension support on Google Chrome.
Google Chrome recently changed its extension support from the Manifest V2 framework to the new Manifest V3 framework. The browser policy changes will impact one of the most popular adblockers (arguably), uBlock Origin.
The transition to the Manifest V3 framework means extensions like uBlock Origin can’t use remotely hosted code. According to Google, it “presents security risks by allowing unreviewed code to be executed in extensions.” The new policy changes will only allow an extension to execute JavaScript as part of its package.
Over 30 million Google Chrome users use uBlock Origin, but the tool will be automatically disabled soon via an update. Google will let users enable the feature via the settings for a limited period before it’s completely scrapped. From this point, users will be forced to switch to another browser or choose another ad blocker.
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Lots of firefox mentions, no mention of Vivaldi tho…?
Vivaldi is still chromium-based, which is also getting Manifest V2 support cut. And its default ad blocker sucks, if we’re being honest.
Oh fuck, looks like I gotta switch again…
Vivaldi, Opera,
Safari, Edge. It’s all Chromium.Really? I thought Safari want chromium based
Ah, you’re right, apologies, it’s WebKit! Edited my previous comment.
Does this affect edge as well? Pushing out ublock via policy to both edge and chrome has saved me a lot of headaches at work, this is gonna be a pain in the dick.
Yup, it affects all chromium browsers AFAIK
In future news: Work efficiency drops dramatically because all workers have to fight with ads while researching solutions 😮
Microsoft still hasn’t made a stance. However, Edge isn’t private and is an advertising platform.
Maybe figure out if you can do a very customized version of Firefox. I would take inspiration from Librewolf but keep in mind things will break if you start applying privacy patches.
I’m not sure if it’s related, but I’ve been getting popups that prevent navigation away from pages on the Google Android browsers
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Not only intrusive ads, intrusive trackers too
Using the internet without an adblocker is genuinely dangerous. Everyone really should be using uBlock Origin. Using a web browser that prevents uBlock Origin puts you in danger
For sure
You can get a pass till July 2025 by creating/setting a registry key that they made for businesses.
Paste this in a .reg file and double click it.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome] "ExtensionManifestV2Availability"=dword:00000002At this rate people should just cut the cord with google. Modifying reg files is almost as annoying as moving bookmarks over. Firefox + uBlock + pihole (if you’re feeling ambitious/want to block other crap that’s non-browser related) and you’re chillin.
Moving bookmarks takes about 10 seconds to do.
Yea that’s why say, just as annoying. Which I guess for the PC illiterate registry edits are more dangerous?
I personally moved off google about 2 years ago (started using start page as well) and haven’t looked back.
I have no idea what you are talking about but whatever.
you could instead just download firefox, which isnt perfect either but still a huge improvement over any chromium browser
Firefox supremacy validated once again
We need more options
Yes, but until we have them, Firefox is the best option.
*librewolf
Also that.
I’m not sure what Mullvad is based on - i think it’s on Tor, which is Firefox based?
I do use mostly LibreWolf, but if FF also went to shit, I wonder if Tor, and thus Mullvad, would keep on going or not. Because I suppose LibreWolf would have troubles with keeping up, if Mozilla would enshitify FF, since they would probably have to fork and continue development on their own.
Browser engines are ridiculously complex, nearly on the level of operating systems. All of the Firefox forks are really just different UIs built around Gecko/Quantum - those other projects aren’t really maintaining their own engines, they’re dependent on Mozilla’s work to remain stable, secure and relevant.
Yeah, I know and that’s what I’m afraid of. I guess I’ll just have to come to terms with most websites not working in some obscure web browser that’s not feature-complete. Would actually help with my addiction, so it won’t be so bad, I guess.
Firefox works for nearly everything. The only stuff that doesn’t work for me is Xitter embeds, and this is a gift that keeps on giving.
mullvad browser is based on FF
Cat and mouse game, it’s better to DNS block ads.
Or, here me out, don’t use Chome
DNS blocker will be as useful or maybe even less than ubo lite. E.g. it just cannot block youtube ads like ubo does.
Also Google and removed both bypass your DNS blocker. They use their own DNS server and DoH protocol to resolve their ad servers. DoH is also hard to block because it uses port 443 with https.
The best bet right now is to use either a DNS or even better: packet filter level blocker such as zenarmor; together with ublock origin on firefox. Nothing else will not really block tracking in 2024.
If it keeps going on like this, it won’t be long before I’ll just say fuck it and switch to elinks…
Hmm, on that note - is there any CLI web browser that can do javascript and css? Because iirc, elinks doesn’t, though I havent used it in years.
Elinks for can do basic CSS & JS. I wish there were better support for like 256 or 16 color modes for CSS to better support TUIs. The reading UX is generally pretty good, but stuff like syntax highlighting really helps. …That is if website makers did their job correctly & treated JavaScript as an enhancement. The bigger issue is even in the case of limited JS support like Netsurf, most developers aren’t going to be writing ES3 or ES5-compatible code which is about all most of these systems can support which means the JS will be broken anyhow without keeping their engines up to date.
The sooner you abandon javascript and css, the sooner you can be free
it won’t be long before I’ll just say fuck it and switch to elinks…
Holy mother of BASED
https://github.com/fathyb/carbonyl
This is more usable than browsh, in my experience, but has the very unfortunate downside of being based on Chromium (🤢)
Lynx ftw! Not sure if that’s been maintained since the 90s though.
You can’t improve on perfection!
Lynx is still actively maintained. I use it from time to time when I don’t feel like leaving the command line to look something up or whatever. It works really well still. So long as all you care about is text.
If you like to use reader mode you’ll probably like Lynx.
browsh does, but uses FF as backend renderer
Screw you Google. Enjoy your antitrust.
Its a good thing I’ve been using Firefox for almost 2 decades then.
Moved to Firefox some months ago, it’s fine. Small adjustment but browsers generally offer high interchangeability
In their eyes they just made 30 million more customers.
Fucking parasites.
They made Firefox a good number of new customers.
All 10 of us
Firefox isn’t exactly “the good guys” either
You expect good guys?
No
I agree but isn’t the choice between “the terrible guys” and “the okayish guys”?
If you don’t know the good guys, then yes that’s your choice
So who are the good guys, mind you telling? As far as I’m aware, currently it’s a choice between Chromium based browsers and Firefox and its forks. So really just 2 options in the grand scheme of things.
Tell me you’re poor without telling me you’re poor
I prefer flawed but trying guys to guys with zero morals that farm every ounce of data they can.
Firefox has telemetry too
And it can be turned off.
100% of it? Nope.
What are you stating cannot be turned off?
This sounds baseless without any evidence.
Between two evils, Firefox is the comparative good guy. There’s not a chance in hell I’m using anything based on Chromium, I’ve been using FF for close to two decades now and I’ve experienced very few dealbreaker issues.
I‘m really anxious for firefox as google is the main financier afaik.
For now. They could default to yahoo and make money. Maybe not as much, but they could sustain browser development.
Firefox is still far superior to chromium.
I agree. That could work. We‘ll see.
look up ladybird. we may soon have a 3rd browser!
Looks promising. Lets see where it goes. https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird
I am hopeful they will get some more corporate backing. We can donate all day but that is a drop in the bucket compared to a few million from some large companies
It’s hard to take a project seriously for championing our privacy if the only communication options are Discord & Microsoft Github
Feel free to offer hosting something else for them. Be the change you want to see.
There are free (both kinds) options to these problems if they can’t afford it—and that still isn’t an excuse to require all coms go thru US-based proprietary services with big privacy implications.
2026 isn’t soon.
using a novel engine based on web standards.
Now, that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time…
In 2026
That’s supoosed to be the preview release date on Linux and MacOS…
If they can stay funded I believe them
It is a worry. I think we might end up needing to pay for Firefox ourselves.
Not sure firefox will be on our side after the recent ad tracking debacle. If they implement one more anti consumer feature I‘m jumping ship.
Jump ship to what? Not like there’s s lot of choices out there. You could always try LibreWolf.
Plenty of Firefox forks out there.
That would be my first address, assuming the librewolf folks will never accept anti community code, hopefully.
If everything fails i‘m fine to join a small project and help with it. I have some skills and can contribute financially.
Librewolf is just a reskinned Firefox.
Purged of unwanted and intrusive features, UBO pre installed, and is pre configured for increased privacy.
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They plan a release for 2028. It’s going to be a while before it can be used for everyday browsing.
I agree.
Netscape Navigator and Opera raise their hand
Wait, Navigator still exists?
Well, Opera is also based on Chromium.
I will happily donate.
If, of course, money won’t go to the CEO.it is lol, have you seen how much the ceo is paying herself?
its kind of a reddit situaton, where money wouldnt be that much of an issue if it werent all for the ceo.
A CEO is a needed possition, I know in the past the Brendan Eich was controversial in his political views, but Laura Chambers seems ok so far
At least Brendan Eich was a developer, good on him for being Christian.
IIRC, only like 2% of Mozilla spending goes towards FF (I may be misinterpreting something, but I remember 2% being thrown around), so funding FF without rest of Mozilla bullshit shouldn’t be that hard. Of course, since Mozilla did spend so little on FF, it’s a question how much they actually care about FF and what would happen if they lost access to their golden goose. They shouldn’t have problem funding FF, but they probably have other bullshit they don’t want to let go and that has more priority for them.
A list of Mozilla’s “other bullshit”:
You are right, it was unfairly harsh wording, I apologize for that. Most of those products are super cool and important, I’ve kind of extrapolated it from what I’ve read in other posts about them spending too much on stuff like events and other, non-developemnt, related stuff that I actually never checked, while also not realizing that they also have a ton of other projects, which mixed with the dissapointment with the recent development about the Meta partnership led to me choosing that wording unfairly.
