this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2023

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115

YouTube begins to prepare for the Adblock war (www.theverge.com)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 51 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (4 children)

Uninstall Chrome.

Install Firefox.

Stop letting Google dictate web standards and accept that they plan on removing adblocking from Chrome.

Firefox is the last widely available, cross-platform browser that isn't based on Chromium. The only other is Safari for macOS/iOS which is not generally cross-platform.

Firefox uses Gecko/Quantum
Safari uses WebKit
Chrome/Chromium uses Blink

Drop any browsers that use Blink as the rendering engine, and yeah, it's most of them.

Google has made it completely clear where they stand on this war, which is that they will remove your access to content if you don't agree to see their ads.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I've been on firefox since 2018 and I do not regret it, fuck monopolys, don't let a single company to have control and manage the web as it pleases

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I've been on Firefox since way back. I understand they've made a lot of missteps and I'm not going to defend some of their worst decisions, but they're at the very least not an advertising company that wants to remove adblocks from how the web works.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I'm out of the loop here, what would you say are the missteps and bad decisions from Firefox?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

A few things come to mind:

The "Mr. Robot" promotion was pretty bad - they force installed an extension without user interaction. This is IMHO still the worst thing they've done.

Their finances could be seen as a little sketchy, at times, like executive pay vs. layoffs at the start of COVID. The fact that they're hanging off the teat of Google (or maybe Microsoft, which ever search engine has the higher bid at the moment) could also be seen as a conflict of interest.

Some might criticise Mozilla for a lack of focus. While Firefox was getting stale they invested in Pocket, and VPNs and stuff.

It's a thing of the past, but there was this whole thing about Brendan Eich …

Honestly most of these things seem pretty par for the course under capitalism.

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[–] glockenspiel 3 points 2 years ago

I’m not OP, but a big one was breaking a fair number of extensions/add-ons with a major browser update. I forget the exact details, and am not privy to the technical arguments within Mozilla, but I can see how it is a huge turn off for users.

FireFox was also extremely resource intensive at one point.

And their mobile apps are stubbornly bad. There’s no reason not to implement a real tab bar, for example. Card view is terrible on tablet devices.

It just seems like there are a lot of little things they do with FireFox.

Still, it isn’t FireFox trying to end adblocking and start blacklisting people from using services with no actual alternative.

Alphabet needs to be broken up, as does Microsoft and Apple.

[–] lka1988 1 points 2 years ago

I've been with Mozilla since before Firefox was a thing. Had a stint with Chrome for a few years but ultimately went back to Firefox. No ragrets.

[–] WhoRoger 1 points 2 years ago

Are there no WebKit browsers left?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (3 children)

What about email? Firfox have email. How will I be able to switch my android device away from Google?

I like to have alternative but they pretty much control everything on most devices I use.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago

Just because you can't completely degooglize doesn't mean there is no value in reducing their place in your life.

Degooglize what you can, step by step.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

K-9 Mail from Mozilla is an Android-version of their Thunderbird email client.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

Shit forgot all about Thunderbird. Long time since I have used Mozilla. I have been way to comfortably with Chrome and Google.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago (5 children)

You can degoogle android by removing or sandboxing google play services. CalyxOS and LineageOS dothisb AFAIK.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (2 children)

how are they in terms of user interface?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

They use the stock android interface. They’re (oversimplification but) basically android with all the proprietary and Google stuff removed.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

How does that work? Can you walk me through how to do that?

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 2 years ago (1 children)

We need to start dumping yotube and twitch and start using peertube or odysee

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

How do creators monetise on peertube?

[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

Stop using the word 'Google' instead of saying 'Search'. Take offense if anyone tells you to 'Google' something - fuck them!!!
Set Firefox as your default - don't keep 'defaulting' to chrome, or chromium based browsers (as this code mostly comes from Google).
Be sure to become more acquainted with more platforms, keep shortcuts handy and use them when they have content...
If you must use Youtube, use it signed out - find your channel and add it to an RSS reader. Avoid using the Youtube interface and avoid the algorithms. Search for any channels you watch on alternative platforms.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Firefox on mobile caters for extensions too. Not having ads or tracking on your phone is great. FF on both mobile and desktop is fantastic tbh.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Firefox Focus is also a lovely little mobile browser for random queries and such. It's effectively always in private browsing mode; anytime you close it, it clears its cache.

I definitely use it more often than "regular" Firefox on mobile. I only really use regular Firefox if I need some sort of persistence or login.

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[–] TempleSquare 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The upside if we all use the term Google, is that over time Google will lose their ability to enforce their trademark.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

I google things on brave search all the time

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 years ago (2 children)

youtube has been actively fighting ad blockers for over a decade. what's this "preparing"?

[–] glockenspiel 8 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Well, fair enough point. But Google is preparing to actually become actionable and start issuing sweeping user bans.

I’m a dev. I know people who’ve run afoul of Google and had their accounts banned. They lose access to everything with zero recourse.

And it means they have to find new jobs because enterprise Google accounts are also affected. Especially if they are Android developers.

Google also has methods to trace people down if they make new accounts. That presumably extends to people accessing information without accounts. People are incredibly easy to finger print with just their browser and all the data it surrenders as a standard.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I know people who’ve run afoul of Google and had their accounts banned. They lose access to everything with zero recourse.

That reminds me, gotta go pick up my Google Takeout.

But would they really only go after people who are logged into their Google account? Because then it's a simple matter of opening an incognito tab. And then they either let it go, or take it to next level by banning anonymous visitors by IP, or tip their hand and reveal that they spy on you in incognito tabs. Either way it's gonna go well with popcorn.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

At this scale? I can’t personally had a problem blocking their ads. Yet…

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago

FreeTube

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Ask me do I care, lol.

a) Linux, Firefox + uBlockOrigin + Enhancer for YouTube;

b) Android, Firefox + uBlock Origin + Video Background Play Fix;

c) I never ever use any account or login into the youtube. Playlists? Got favorites/bookmarks in browser :) Voting, comments? I don't care. Native youtube android apk? Never. So, no tracking and stats for you and no dumb auto recomendations for me. Thanks.

P.S. oh, and all cookies are auto deleted on last tab close. Bye.

So, war with or strike me how? Close whole site or put everything under paywall and die? Hahaha

[–] trifictional 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Will that android technique work on IOS too?

Edit: nvm Apple blocks Firefox extensions, curse you Apple.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

Muhahahahahahahahaha

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It’s well within reason to fight it just like it’s within reason that users will find other ways. I don’t think it makes Google evil to try to stop people from blocking their ads, but this is the internet and people will always find another way around it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Definitely feels like both sides of the Adblock battle are going to get more sophisticated.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Youtube: "Watch our ads or else"

Reddit: "Watch our ads or else"

Fediverse: "Else"

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

There is no way the fediverse will replace youtube.

Youtube Is very expensive to host, and the proof is that there is no actual competitor to it.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago

Right, except we aren't trying to "replace" youtube. Those who are prepared to put up with youtube can have it. Same with spez/reddit. If people like those platforms, and happy with them then they can stay there. Those of us who don't care for them can develop communities and content elsewhere.

If you're cool with algorithms showing you ads every five minutes then by all means stick with the commercial platforms, but you're also generally welcome to help build or support a platform that provides a better user experience -- and doesn't use revenue growth as the primary motivator for everything.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I use NewPipe on my phone, anybody know of any PC equivalent if ad-blockers are getting blocked? Would it even work?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago

NewPipe's whole gimmick is the fact it fakes being a browser as far as YouTube is concerned, and the fact that until now Google wasn't crazy enough to block visitors who aren't logged in. If they're willing to go that far there's nothing any app can do, the ad either plays and then tells YouTube it played, or it doesn't.