Opera, Brave, Vivaldi to ignore Chrome's anti-ad-blocker changes, despite shared codebase

[The AchieVer]

Opera, Brave, Vivaldi to ignore Chrome's anti-ad-blocker changes, despite shared codebase

Other browser makers don't seem to be on board with Google's decision to neuter its extensions API, and essentially, ad blockers.

 

 

 

Despite sharing a common Chromium codebase, browser makers like Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi don't have plans on crippling support for ad blocker extensions in their products -- as Google is currently planning on doing within Chrome.

 

The three browsers makers have confirmed to ZDNet, or in public comments, of not intending to support a change to the extensions system that Google plans to add to Chromium, the open-source browser project on which Chrome, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi are all based on.

THE MANIFEST V3 SCANDAL

Google announced plans to modify the Chromium extension system last October when the browser maker said it would develop a new set of standards -- collectively known as Manifest V3 -- that will modify how extensions work on top of the Chromium codebase.

 

It took extension developers a few months to understand how intrusive the Manifest V3 modifications were, but they did eventually realize that Google was planning to replace one of the main technology through which extensions interacted with website requests, in favor of one that was far inferior.

 

Initially, it was thought that extensions which provided ad-blocking services would be the ones impacted the most, but it was later also discovered that extensions for antivirus products, parental control enforcement, and various privacy-enhancing services were also affected.

 

Users protested against Google's decision, and the company came under heavy criticism from the public -- with many users accusing it of trying to sabotage ad-blocking extensions that were cutting into Google's advertising business profits.

 

Google backtracked on the change a month later, in mid-February, but it appears that the promise to keep the old extension technology intact was just a lie.

 

At the end of May, Google made a new announcement in which it said that the old technology that ad blockers were relying on would only be available for Chrome enterprise users, but not for regular users.

 

This time, Chrome developers seem intent on plowing through with their decision, with the Manifest V3 changes being scheduled to go live in January 2020, when ad blocker extensions would see their ability to block ads greatly diminished.

 

The move has angered Chrome users beyond belief, with many vowing to switch browsers, and many setting their eyes on Firefox, whose developers have been working to transform and rebrand the former fan-favorite into a privacy-first product.

 

But Google's planned Manifest V3 changes are being added to the Chromium base, meaning they'll also likely impact other Chromium-based browsers as well.

BRAVE

In an email to ZDNet on Friday, Brendan Eich, CEO of Brave Software, said the Brave browser plans to support the old extension technology that Google is currently deprecating.

 

"To respond on the declarativeWebRequest change (restricting webRequest in full behind an enterprise policy screen), we will continue to support webRequest for all extensions in Brave," Eich told ZDNet.

 

In addition, Brave itself supports a built-in ad blocker, that users can utilize as an alternative to any extension.

 

Furthermore, Eich told ZDNet that Brave would continue to support uBlock Origin and uMatrix, the two extensions developed by Raymond Hill, the Chrome extension developer who's been highlighting Google's plans to sabotage Chrome ad blockers for the past months.

OPERA

 

ZDNet also received a similar statement from Opera, another browser vendor which uses the Chromium codebase.

 

"We might also consider keeping the referenced APIs working, even if Chrome doesn't, but again, this is not really an issue for the more than 300 million people who have chosen Opera," an Opera spokesperson told us.

 

This is because, just like Brave, Opera also ships with a built-in ad blocker.

 

"All the Opera browsers, both on mobile and PC, come with an ad blocker that users can choose to enable," the spokesperson said. "This means that Opera users aren't really exposed to these changes - unlike users of most other browsers."

 

Further, this ad blocker is very configurable because it also allows users to import custom domain lists, so users can block any advertising domain they want, giving them full control of what types of ads they can see, or not.

VIVALDI

Vivaldi, another pretty popular Chromium-based browser, published a blog post on Monday affirming its support for giving users a choice -- even if the company has not yet decided how it will proceed.

 

"How we tackle the API change depends on how Google implements the restriction," said Petter Nilsen, Senior Developer at Vivaldi.

 

"Once the change is introduced to Chromium, believe me when I say that there are many, many possible scenarios. Restoring the API could be one of them. We've restored functionality before," Nilsen said.

 

"If the API is removed altogether and no decent alternative is implemented, we might look into creating a limited extensions store. 

 

"The good news is that whatever restrictions Google adds, at the end we can remove them. Our mission will always be to ensure that you have the choice," Nilsen added.

MICROSOFT EDGE

The only major browser maker who did not respond to our request for comment on this issue was Microsoft.

 

The company announced last year it was ditching its proprietary EdgeHTML browser engine for a Chromium port of Edge, which is currently in public testing.

 

Microsoft's plans in regards to Google's Manifest V3 changes are currently unknown.

 

 

 

Source

[steven36]

Fact is : When push comes to shove unless Opera  reverses it  witch they  don't sound very convincing that  they  will,  mostly they are trying to  promote  there built in ad-blocker  none the other browsers have there own store like Opera  does  and there behind on updates  always for UBO even if they reversed it   because  once Google implements Google's Manifest V3 it will no longer be in the Google's store to download  you would only be able to use it in developers mode .

 

Seen it happen to many extensions  already that Google removed. So you better hope Google changes there mind . I don't bother with using extensions in developers mode anymore and most people  don't know how to use this feature, gorhill  use to say use  developers mode to test betas  for Chromium i  never bothered  now he has beta linked to there google store.  So no more millions of users once they implement Google's Manifest V3 and they remove it from the store . 

 

How can I add extensions to Brave?

https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017909112-How-can-I-add-extensions-to-Brave-

 

Using Extensions in Vivaldi

https://help.vivaldi.com/article/extensions/

 

If they was serious  about this they would do like Waterfox did with Firefox AMO  and Opera done  with Chrome  and have  there own repo to install  extensions that Google don't have but there Google store depended  browsers so it would be a lot of work for nothing .

 

Opera   don't   have many users and  it comes packed  full of advertisements the only reason they exist is because Google lets them exist by  putting there ads and services  in Opera.  Google  is who Opera  gets most of there  money from . Also you need to install  another extension to use extensions from Google store  and not all of them work . Same as Extensions in Vivaldi not all  extensions work from Google store ,  that one of  the reasons i only used Open source Chromium that  and the fact  there closed source and i can't see there code  and if they mess  with the Manifest it going  most likely mess it  up worse.

 

Google will have  a working  version  that work for UBO  but it's not free  Enterprise version is $50  a year . Opera  back before we had Firefox had a paid  version  you could buy a key to remove the built in advertisements  I got  my key from p2p or from a crack website  been so long i can't remember,  but I know i had one   lol.  But IE was my main browser back then.

 

Nobody can do it as good as Google the rest are just using there code base because Google makes Chromium  and  just adds there closed sourced parts to it  to make Chrome  the rest alter the code to suit them, altering the code cause new features  or adds old ones back  but it also cause bugs.  Up to now you can get most of anything added to these browsers from installing a extension   . 

 

The reason I'm not keen on Brave it uses Electron witch is something lazy Devs who really don't know how to code for Linux use . I have apps made with Electron because they make nothing else to replace it , but i don't want to use a browser  made with it because it's bloated and slow and i use browsers more than any apps that i have. 

[mp68terr]

AFAIK palemoon has its extensions repository (if it can be called like that, https://addons.palemoon.org/extensions/) too. Recently changed from umatrix (latest compatible version is from something like the end of 2017) to an updated fork: ematrix.

[Sofa King]

Do you think microsoft will keep supporting the old blocking feature?