this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2023
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Privacy

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Sorry for the poor quality / lack of screenshot, this is from my work computer which I isolate from my personal devices, so I just took a picture.

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[–] [email protected] 349 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Yeah, that extension actually pushes unwanted popups. That's a legit flag indeed.

Just use uBlock Origin.

[–] [email protected] 82 points 1 year ago

Ooh thank you. I hope you can see why I was sceptical!

[–] [email protected] 102 points 1 year ago

I'm gonna have to say that Google is correct in this case. Use uBlock Origin instead.

[–] [email protected] 80 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What if the extension is actual malware?

[–] [email protected] 44 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Evil Google interfering with my right to run malware 😡

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Just sounds like antivaxxers complaining about the covid vaccine.

"How dare you suggest me and my family take a preventative measure against the virus. The government is just trying to control our lives!"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Except "evil Google blocking malware" usually comes with an "accept the risk and continue" button

[–] [email protected] 56 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Has anyone said to use uBlock Origin instead yet?

Also, add in SponsorBlock. It's an extension that skips embedded adverts within the content but it's community driven so if it's not been submitted, it won't know about it. (Hint: get involved!)

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago

Someone should tell them to use uBlock Origin instead.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 33 points 1 year ago

Chrome actually protected your sorry ass. Why the fuck are you not running Ublock origin?

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The malware on your system is Chrome.

Expecting an advertising company to have your interests in mind (you are the nothing but eyeballs they are delivering to their customers) is the hight of naivety.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It's okay, ignore that this is actually a shitty extension and Google is correct, and use the time to rant and soapbox about unrelated crap.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago

Maybe you're right about the soapbox, but OP didn't say anything inaccurate. Google is actively pushing to have more ads shown in Chrome wherever they can. The author of UbO even advocates for Firefox being the best experience regarding ads.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

we are on a privacy sub. Everything I said is relevant to privacy.

So, in the nicest possible way. Pull your head in.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Don't use Chrome then. There are plenty of browsers using the Chromium open source platform. So if you like how Chrome behaves but don't like Google, use one of the Chromium-based systems.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

It's my work laptop, I have limited choices. I use Firefox on my PC.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Everyone keeps saying to use ublock origin. However, there is a better way. Just use invidious.

Also that extension is malious

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

you can't just say there's a better way without explaining why it's better

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Exactly, ublock origin is better because of the way it is, but you can't just say that about [random extension]

^(/s)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

ublock origin has long before been proven to be a great extension

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

When you use chrome you might as well go full corporate bootlick and not use any blockers at all

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's my work laptop, I don't have a choice.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I hope you find a way to solve the issue then

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

From a certain point of view...

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Does it do this for uBlock Origin ?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Chrome does the AV joke now?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (3 children)

To all you uBlock Origin fans: Any reason why nobody ever recommend AdGuard over uBlock Origin? Anything questionable about it? Or is it just that uBlock is well-known?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

AdGuard being ran by a for-profit company and some of the functionality being locked behind a paywall probably doesn't help its case compared to uBlock Origin, though AdGuard is definitely the next best option currently. I also just find uBlock Origin supports more advanced features.

(Edit: Apparantly the paywall only applies to the Safari extension and their desktop app, but not the extension on most platforms, see the reply below, my other points still stand)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I also just find uBlock Origin supports more advanced features.

Googling it and according to one answer the only difference between uBlock Origin and AdGuard browser extensions is that uBlock has a feature where they can hide stuff instead of completely blocking it. Two comments said AdGuard was the more techy one, and most users would prefer uBlock Origin because of that. A bunch of comments are people who obviously havent tried them both. Some are confusion about the difference between AdGuard desktop program and AdGuard browser extensions.

Maybe better if I just test it for myself.

some of the functionality being locked behind a paywall

The entire desktop app, yes. That does DNS blocking. Not the browser extensions, no blocked features there.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Googling it and according to one answer the only difference between uBlock Origin and AdGuard browser extensions is that uBlock has a feature where they can hide stuff instead of completely blocking it.

Does AdGuard have anything equivalent to uBlock Origin's advanced blocking modes? That's mainly what I meant by "advanced features".

The entire desktop app, yes. That does DNS blocking. Not the browser extensions, no blocked features there.

I know their Safari extension has some blocked functionality without paying, but fair enough, it may be different for other platforms, I'll edit my reply then. Thanks for the correction. I stand by the other point though, I think uBlock Origin has an inherent advantage and added trust by being non-profit and fully community driven vs. AdGuard being ran by a for-profit company.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Isn't AdGuard just DNS? That means it blocks ads from everywhere, not just the browser. But you can't customise the blocklist unless you selfhost it.

If there's a web extension too, then idk. If you use say, Firefox for Android, then you don't have much choice besides uBlock, and with... Hm, other mobile browsers you don't have any at all.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If you use say, Firefox for Android, then you don’t have much choice besides uBlock,

Or AdGuard. I run the AdGuard browser extension on my Firefox for Android. It claims to also have one for iOS Safari. It has a paid desktop app, and that one add DNS blocks. I tried it once and paid for a license, but then I switched back to the free browser extensions for a reason I dont remember anymore.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

switched back to the free browser extensions for a reason I dont remember anymore.

I remember now. It caused havok with a lot of UWP apps. So I went to browser-extensions only.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Isn't AdGuard just DNS?

It isn't "just" DNS level blocking, no. They have an adblocker for browsers, too. uBlock is using their filters.

other mobile browsers you don't have any at all

Some have built-in adblockers (ex: Brave, DDG), others support extensions (ex: Safari, Orion).

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

uBlock Origin is FOSS.

Edit: AdGuard is FOSS too, for some reason I never even consider the possibility of AdGuard been FOSS