Google's anti-ad scripts are breaking browsers and privacy plugins. It could get worse because Google controls the ad market, Chrome, and the extension store.

Another great article from 404 Media highlighting the power that the tech giants have amassed over how how we use the internet.

This brings me, I think, to the elephant in the room, which is the fact that Google has its hands on quite literally every aspect of this entire saga as a vertically integrated adtech giant.

This extreme power over the adtech and online advertising ecosystem is one of the subjects of an FTC antitrust suit against Google.

  • ExLisper@linux.communityEnglish
    16710·
    1 year ago

    To anyone using Chrome and complaining about Google having too much control: shut the fuck up. You’re part of the problem.

      • Substance_P@lemmy.worldEnglish
        13·
        1 year ago

        I love Librewolf, I just can’t work for hours using a browser that has dark mode disabled in order to preserve its privacy features.

        • AphoticDev@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          161·
          1 year ago

          Because the dark mode that’s built into Firefox and other browsers sends requests to websites that can identify you. If you want dark mode on Librewolf, do as the devs recommend and get Dark Reader, as that’s clientside and doesn’t identify you, and works with pretty much every website, including ones that don’t offer a dark version.

          I use regular Firefox, and I have the default dark mode disabled and Dark Reader installed. I don’t need to ask permission from websites to use dark mode any more than I need to ask Google for permission to block their ads.

        • zingo@lemmy.caEnglish
          31·
          1 year ago

          Well some sacrifices has to be done.

          I use an add on called “Dark background, white text” or something like that. Less bloated than Dark Reader.

          Has to be somewhat usable while privacy oriented.

    • Mossy Feathers (She/They)@pawb.socialEnglish
      30·
      1 year ago

      Imo this extends to chromium too. Google owns the source code and can pull it whenever they want. Sure, chromium browsers might be able to putter along for a little bit, but my understanding is that the reason why we’re now at Chrome/Chromium vs Firefox vs Safari is because Google shits out so many new “”“standards”“” and “features” that you need a large team to keep up. It’s supposedly why browsers like Opera switched to using chromium instead of trying to maintain their own source code.

      This is a feature, not a bug.

    • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      65·
      1 year ago

      This is one reason why I don’t want the EU to force Apple to allow other rendering engines. Whether you think using Apple’s rendering engine on iOS is bad or good, it’s basically the only thing keeping Google from having complete control of the market.