this post was submitted on 28 Mar 2024
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Privacy
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There's some inherent risk in the ad blocker as well, though. If it's an extension, you're trusting that this thing you installed, that can read and modify every website you visit, isn't going to do anything sneaky. Yes, maybe it's open source, but every once in a while something sneaks into open source projects, too. It will get caught, but it could be after the damage is done.
I mean, I use an ad blocker. But I don't think it's unreasonable to value security and not use one.
Open source adblockers reduce that risk significantly. Don't trust closed source blockers.
Do they reduce it like xz?
But by that logic, absolutely everything other than standing still in a fethal position in a dark cave is a cyber security risk.
Are you using an extremely solid version of Linux? Wellllll, sometimes bad actors can push bad code to open source projects! It's a risk!
I mean, it's true. Network-connected devices are inherently a cyber security risk.
Yes, which is why that can't be used as an argument against one specific tool.
The benefits massively outweigh the risks when it comes to open source ad blockers (lets be honest, we’re all talking about uBO), but limiting your attack surface is a very widely practiced concept in cubersecurity, and there’s no situation where it is totally without merit.
Not using a browser extension but loading JavaScript isn't limiting your attack surface
To be fair, I bet some percentage of those that don't use an ad blocker ARE using something like no script and just don't need one as a result.
Even ones that are air-gapped and get their updates via USB are a risk