news "Google Chrome changes could 'destroy' ad-blockers"

[NickB]

Blocking ads could become much harder if Google makes proposed changes to its Chrome web browser, warn developers.

The changes could "destroy" ad-blockers, said one maker of widely-used blocking software.

Others said the update would make it far harder for users to stop firms tracking them online and make it easier for them to be bombarded with ads.

Google said the proposals were a "draft" and added that it would work with developers to limit their impact......

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-46988319

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nPu6Wy4LWR66EFLeYInl3NzzhHzc-qnk4w4PX-0XMw8/edit#

 

[creataweb]

Luckily other browsers exist

 

[Grego85]

Good,

Why should webmasters have to work hard to provide content and maintain websites for free. People should not feel entitled to view websites while blocking the ads. That is stealing.

 

[Canopie]

Coming from an SEO/development background, I personally feel it's a good thing for our economy. Imagine if everyone used ad blockers, we wouldn't have the advertising and marketing industries we have now. Publishers wouldn't be able to make money from producing good content. And, Google wouldn't be Google without ads (Adwords/Adsense).

 

[NickB]

Luckily other browsers exist

Google dominate the market share for browser activity though.....

Chrome 62.28%

Safari 14.69%

Firefox 4.93%

UC Browser 4.21%

Opera 3.13%

Samsung Internet 2.94%

http://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share

 

[creataweb]

use Chromium instead - open-sourced version that Chrome is based on

 

[NickB]

use Chromium instead - open-sourced version that Chrome is based on

come on....how many people in the "general public" arena use this? My guess is a very low percentage....

 

[creataweb]

come on....how many people in the "general public" arena use this? My guess is a very low percentage....

Lol, but at least it's now known to at least 7 people here.

 

[MapleDots]

Most browsers like opera are using the chromium underpinnings. Even Microsoft is abandoning edge and going for a chromium based browser.

Firefox has full extensions with adblocker support on desktop and android.

There will be a surge to firefox if google makes the change.

My prediction is this will never come to fruition as long as a viable option like firefox is around. Should mozilla fail somehow then all bets are off.

I actually still use an older version of waterfox when I need the old time extensions like fireftp which are no longer supported by firefox.

For the people in the know there will always be an option and google is aware of this, they will behave for fear of losing market share.

 

[NickB]

MOst browsers like opera are using the chromium underpinnings. Even Microsoft is abandoning edge and going for a chromium based browser.

Firefox has full extensions with adblocker support on desktop and android.

There will be a surge to firefox if google makes the change.

My prediction is this will never come to fruition as long as a viable option like firefox is around. Should mozilla fail somehow then all bets are off.

I actually still use an older version of waterfox when I need the old time extensions like fireftp which are no longer supported by firefox.

For the people in the know there will always be an option and google is aware of this, they will behave for fear of losing market share.

"for people in the know"

Most people know jack sh*t

More than 615 million devices worldwide have an adblocker installed.

Firefox has a tiny market share as of now and I am pretty sure Google with all the resources it possesses will have factored in the margins for users going elsewhere and increased ad spend for those that continue to use it;s services.....

 

[BionicMan]

Firefox was the best in early mid 00's, then Chrome became much more. Nowadays, Chrome is a bit gbuggy and intrusive. Give Firefox Nightly x64 a try...it's pretty damn solid.

 

[vravis9]

May be duck is a choice here....

If google doesn't care about privacy and thinks only about ad revenue...

 

[mr-x]

use Chromium instead - open-sourced version that Chrome is based on

Brave.com, based on chromium, built in ad-blocking, tracking and a method to make micro payments to publishers you like.

 

[Kate]

Chrome has replaced MSIE in the role of the villain. And it's nothing special.
My advice would be to use an alternative browser.
Google already knows a lot about you, don't give them control or knowledge over your navigation.
That also means, don't use their 'free' DNS service.

 

[.NJ]

Check out....

https://brave.com/

I will never use another browser again after trying Brave.

 

[polongru]

So many options out there, but will people bother to check them...