uBlock VS privacytests.org

Check out uBlock Origin's per site switches [1]

[1]: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Per-site-switches#no-...

If ads, in particular on YouTube, are the problem, anything Chromium-based is probably only going to get worse and worse (see [1] and [2]). So that basically leaves you with Firefox and Safari.

I work for Mozilla (speaking for myself, of course), so I'll leave you to guess which I'd recommend :P

[1] https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/uBlock-Origin-works-b...

[2] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/googles-widely-oppos...

https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock

Or if on mobile, it is well worth it to look up adblock options for the browser you use.

What are the compelling advantages of Chrome nowadays?

Chrome is working to limit the capabilities of ad blockers:

https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2023/11/chrome-pushes...

Whereas a compelling advantage of Firefox is that uBlock Origin works best in Firefox:

https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/uBlock-Origin-works-b...

Advertising networks have often been vectors for malware. Using an ad blocker is an important security measure. Even the FBI recommends ad blockers:

https://www.malwarebytes.com/malvertising

https://theconversation.com/spyware-can-infect-your-phone-or...

https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2022/PSA221221?=8324278624

> It allows for 30,000 dynamic rules

That is not what we mean by dynamic filters. From https://developer.chrome.com/blog/improvements-to-content-fi...

> However, to support more frequent updates and user-defined rules, extensions can add rules dynamically too, without their developers having to upload a new version of the extension to the Chrome Web Store.

What Chrome is talking about is the ability to specify rules at runtime. What critics of Manifest V3 are talking about is not the ability to dynamically add rules (although that can be an issue), it is the ability to add dynamic rules -- ie rules that analyze and rewrite requests in the style of the blockingWebRequest permission.

It's a little deceptive to claim that the concerns here are outdated and to point to vague terminology that sounds like it's correcting the problem, but on actual inspection turns out to be entirely separate functionality from what the GP was talking about.

> Giving this ability to extensions can slow down the browser for the user. These ads can still be blocked through other means.

This is the debate; most of the adblocking community disagrees with this assertion. uBO maintains a list of some common features that are already not possible to support in Chrome ( https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/uBlock-Origin-works-b... ) and has written about features that are not able to be supported via Chrome's current V3 API ( https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uBOL-home/wiki/Frequently-as... ). Of particular note are filtering for large media elements (I use this a lot on mobile Firefox, it's great for reducing page size), and top-level filtering of domains/fonts.

> "Its happened before"

> That's not an argument

It's a subheading to "2. Browser engine monopoly". The subsection's purpose is describing how bad things were during the IE monopoly to reinforce that it's something to be avoided.

> in fact you could counter-argue that IE left a lot of technical debt

That would be agreeing with the article, unless I understand what you mean.

> On top of that, the internet was very different back then.

In a way that now makes it harder for truly new competing engines to pop up due to increased complexity of the web.

> I'm still not convinced, why would I change my browser?

The points made in the article are:

* Increased privacy, opposed to willingly giving your data to an ad-tech company

* Helps avoid a browser engine monopoly which would effectively let Google dictate web standards

* It’s fast and has a nice user interface

Onto which I'd add:

* Content blockers work best on Firefox (https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/uBlock-Origin-works-b...), doubly so when Manifest V3 rolls out

* Allows more customization of interface and home page

* UX improvements, like the clutter-free reader mode, aren't vetoed to protect search revenue as with Chrome (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37675467)

Advertising networks are vectors for malware:

https://www.cisecurity.org/insights/blog/malvertising

https://www.malwarebytes.com/malvertising

https://theconversation.com/spyware-can-infect-your-phone-or...

So if you're concerned about security then you want the browser with the best ad blocker.

uBlock Origin works best in Firefox:

https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/uBlock-Origin-works-b...

No, https://privacytests.org/ is misleading, it shows only the results of the default browser settings - which absolutely nobody uses.

So as far as hardened chromium forks go brave is the best and all there really is. For Firefox based hardened browsers unless you feel like manually hardened stock FF yourself, librewolf and mullvad browser (mull on Android) which leads me to Tor but with the drawbacks that make it less practical for certaint things mullvad known for their VPN that is is very bignin privacy so much you have nothing that ties to it like 99% of anything now days as yoi have anonimity bcnyoinoau with cash-crypro-or use a voucher no name email address phone number bank etc to sign upso they partner with then tor project and made a clearnet version of tor hardened fingerprint resistant as well as cookies scripts ect multiple identity proxy and built-in security that tor has standard safer safest with no script uBo and and their VPN and dns to take the place of tors multiple relay and encryption that is the tor network with no telemetry you hide in plain site as all the other using it look like you. You can n use this browsers like you would brave or your "main' so history bookmarks passwords etc but that defeats the purpose IMO but librewolf is also very hardened fingerprint resistant focused but you can use it like were using brave and still have the privacy and security and convenience. I use all 4 with different search engines depending on what I'm looking for or doing and of in have to use chrome then ungoogled Chromium on desktop and cromite on Android (fork of bromite which lost support from the devs) mull brave and cromite on is what in use on mobile. This isn't a complete list as FOSS for mobile has quite a few to try these are my favorite, Firefox focus on Android is Worth mentioning too. Sorry for the incoherent book. https://privacytests.org/

you mean https://privacytests.org ?

librewolf https://privacytests.org/ for ios/android brave all the way https://privacytests.org/ios, https://privacytests.org/android

careful with brave https://www.ghacks.net/2023/10/18/brave-is-installing-vpn-services-without-user-consent/?amp https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/33726 among other things like the most popular browser compare site being owned by brave employees https://privacytests.org/ i guess when they say privacy they mean it, keeping things private from you too

https://privacytests.org/ he eventually disclosed his employer in the back area of that website somewhere so thats better i guess.

another one is how certain settings on brave search always reverts back on. or just one the send analytics one. if you use search on a different browser not their own. and etc.

and firefox is funded in large part by google.. do you really think they dont share information?

honestly acting like your browser is superior because no tracking is so silly lol. just use whatever browser you want and tune settings to your liking. harden if you must and move on. is it that much of a hassel? would you rather pay subscription for no tracking?

This site is constantly updated, so there is no need to have the same question all the time. https://privacytests.org/

Something to get you started : privacytests.org