Responding to the controversy around a pending change to Chrome, Google this week said it is not killing ad-blockers. Instead, it is simply trying to make them safer.
“We are not preventing the development of ad blockers or stopping users from blocking ads,” a new post to the Google Security blog claims. “Instead, we want to help developers, including content blockers, write extensions in a way that protects users’ privacy.”
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The issue here is rather complex, because it involves internal platform changes that Google is making to Chrome, and these changes impact how certain types of browser extensions, including ad-blockers, work. The changes that Google is making are collectively known as Manifest V3, and the parts that impact extension developers the most are in a new API called Declarative Net Request, which replaces parts of an older Web Request API.
“Instead of a user granting each extension access to all of [the user’s] sensitive data, we are creating ways for developers to request access to only the data they need to accomplish the same functionality,” Google explains. “With the current Web Request API, users grant permission for Chrome to pass all information about a network request – which can include things like emails, photos, or other private information – to the extension. In contrast, the Declarative Net Request API allows extensions to block content without requiring the user to grant access to any sensitive information.”
And in addition to the security and privacy benefits, the newer Declarative Net Request API also provides “significant, system-level performance benefits” as well.
But this change is controversial because so many popular extensions, especially ad blockers, rely on the Web Request API. Google says it is working with extension developers to help them update their offerings to work with the new API and that it will continue “iterating” Manifest V3 “to find solutions that both solve the use cases extensions have today and keep our users safe and in control.”
That sounds wonderful. But those ad blocker extension makers don’t seem very impressed by Google’s efforts.
“They’ve been trying to give the impression that they’re working with the developer community, when in fact they’re pretty entrenched in what they want to do,” Jeremy Tillman, the president of the privacy and security-focused ad blocker Ghostery told Wired. “The new API is not in itself a bad thing, but it becomes a bad thing when it’s the only option because it lacks the flexibility that the Web Requests API provides.”
It doesn’t help that Google’s primary revenue generator, by far, is ad sales. And that Google worked with the advertising industry to create a built-in ad-blocker in Chrome that, wait for it, doesn’t actually block ads. That ad-blocker rolls out worldwide in July.
dontbe evil
<p>yes yes yes, sure sure sure … they'll just make it more secure showing only google adsense</p>
Bats
<p>Speaking about ads….how many ads are in the Thurrott.com* website? I am counting six. Seven, if you include the Thurrott Premium sale ad. </p><p><br></p><p>Like I stated for so many years, Google is clearly a data company that creates ad-supported first class products. In order for these products to remain FREE and FIRST CLASS, someone has got to pay for it. And it's not going to be the end user, unless he or she wants to pay GSuite, Youtube Premium, etc…</p><p><br></p><p>Gone are the days of the popup ads. Remember those? I don't recall experiencing one, in the past 10-15-20 years. </p><p><br></p><p>The Developers are just going to have to adjust.</p><p><br></p><p>Web developers are getting slick these days. A lot of websites today can detect, whether an Ad blocker is being used and won't allow the user to access the web page unless the blocker is turned off. Obviously, we know why. Like Thurrott.com, sites with ads are simply trying to generate revenue. Quite frankly I don't have a problem with that.</p><p><br></p><p>As for Google's ads, I hardly even notice them. When I search for info, the ads I see are mere words with the word "Ad" distinctly right next to it. I don't have a problem with this, because it supports the crazy-popular Gmail service…..and Search…..and Google Drive, etc….. It's an unbeatable "trifecta" that is clearly paid for by business owners around the world. </p>
Stooks
<blockquote><em><a href="#435309">In reply to Waethorn:</a></em></blockquote><p>I am on Chromium Edge DEV, latest build. Ublock is showing a 12 and ABP is at 1. 13 total and I see no ads.</p>
Stooks
<p>Will this change Google is making also impact the new Edge?</p><p><br></p><p>Google and Facebook are quickly becoming the bad guys in this industry.</p>