Google to weaken ad blockers on Chrome in a push for security
Google to weaken ad blockers on Chrome in a push for security
Starting June 2024, adblockers such as uBlock Origin and many other extensions on Chrome will no longer work as intended. Google Chrome will begin disabling extensions based on an older extension platform, called Manifest V2, as it moves to the more limited V3 version.
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"Security", haha yeah right
The security of their cash flow.
Literally my reaction when I saw that.
they obviously mean their financial security.
The security of their profits
An extension having access to everything on every page you visit is a potential security issue.
Whether that's an acceptable risk for you in order to have an extension that blocks ads is another question.
Extensions by definition are a security issue. For that matter, so is being connected to the Internet in the case of a browser.
As far as I know, the plan for Manifest V3 only included removing blocking from the WebRequest API and extensions using WebRequest could still see whatever activity they are given permission to view.
Correct, and the reasoning for removing blocking was performance.
Wouldn’t loading the ads impact performance moreso than loading them? Not really a browser nerd so no idea it just seems like blocking a piece of content from loading outright would be less demanding than loading it.
How the WebRequest API works is:
- Network request is made
- Sent to the WebExtension
- Extension runs arbitrary JavaScript (Slow to very slow)
- Repeat for every extension handling requests
- Results eventually make it to the WebProcess where it belongs.
This is slow and will always be. Their change to remove blocking makes steps 2-4 a copy of the data instead of a synchronous call.
Now an ad can be slower, just by more data or bad JS. But that isn’t Googles concern because they sell those ads.
Ahhhh gotcha, thanks!