Comment on Google continues pulling the plug on Manifest v2 • The Register
jarfil@beehaw.org 5 weeks agoNo, neither does. V2 browsers show a generic warning on first install, V3 removes the API. Google argues that it’s a security issue… and yes, it is. Their solution though, is some kneejerk BS. Mozilla argues that it’s a user’s right to privacy to block ads and trackers… and yes, I agree. They don’t address the security part, though! So it’s an “all or nothing” choice, which is silly.
Ad blockers can still work on V3… not as thoroughly and not as pretty, but more secure. It’s a nonsense trade-off, when both issues could be addressed by giving users more control.
It looks like neither Google nor Mozilla want to put in the work or take on the responsibility, while ad blocker developers are simply cheering for the less secure option… which makes me uneasy.
tias@discuss.tchncs.de 5 weeks ago
I actually haven’t used an ad blocker in a very long time. I block third-party cookies and trackers, and disturbingly that seems to prevent almost all advertising from working. In fact I frequently get told by sites to turn off my ad blocker, which is impossible since there’s nothing to turn off.
My bigger problem is that these browsers have no good way to clean out the “IndexedDB”, “Service Worker” and “File System” directories in my profile. They are essentially frankenstein cookies that have no expiration date so they keep accumulating. I use the “Cookie Auto Delete” extension for cleaning them up since the functionality is missing in the browser, but it looks like that will stop working with Manifest V3. Once that happens I’m switching back to Firefox or some other browser that gives me enough control to avoid being tracked, and to save 10+ GB of disk space.
jarfil@beehaw.org 5 weeks ago
IndexedDB et al, can be cleared from the devtools, I think should be cleaned when removing browsing data, or can be deleted directly through the OS. “Cookie AutoDelete” should still work with V3, but it may need some updates, and it seem like it hasn’t been updated since 2022.