Your choice of browser matters — Google’s Web DRM and the open internet
https://grafcube.codeberg.page/blog/2023/08/06/web-drm-api.html
I wrote this blog post to inform the people I know who aren’t as tech savvy or otherwise don’t put any thought into their choice of browser. Another goal is to help get enough awareness on the topic and make sure it fails.
@opensource @privacy #webintegrityapi #WEI #google #mozilla #chrome #firefox #chromium #foss #opensource #OpenWeb #privacy #drm #nodrm #drmfree #freesoftware #browser
I am fairly tech savvy and I willingly avoid using Firefox because I despise Mozilla. Thank you for your concerns.
I don’t really like Mozilla, but how is Google any better? And those are the two options, unfortunately.
And those are the two options, unfortunately.
Exactly. Mozilla is better but not that much. What we really need is a 100% community-developed browser engine sponsored by several large companies that are independent from each other. But seems like it’s too late, we’re boiled frogs at this point. Although maybe these are the circumstances under which such an initiative could finally emerge.
Developing a community based browser engine that remains up to date with all the updates to the html, css, and javascript standards would require an immense amount of infrastructure and monetary backing. Essentially Firefox’s Spidermonkey is the closest we have.
I’d be curious if Mozilla could somehow get enough funding without Google or Microsoft or any other big tech corporate funding/influence and still keep up to date with new features and security patches. Doesn’t seem likely though.
Librewolf on Linux Desktop with NoScript, Chameleon, etc. Mull on Android mobile with similar. (Both are firefox based).
I’m on Graphene OS for mobile though, which necessitates the use of Google’s Pixel and uses a hardened Chromium based browser called Vanadium. Main dev has criticized Firefox for being insecure in the past, but still use Mull anyway…
I’ve been using Firefox as my primary on both desktop and mobile for about 6 years now, and it’s usually pretty great. Desktop rarely has problems. On mobile there are a good number of sites with issues though, because devs don’t usually test against it as has had a low number of users. But hopefully this revitalized movement to switch will make them have to care. And that said, 99% of the time these sites are still mostly usable, unless the broken thing is important like say a login screen 😅
@ZephyrXero Interesting. I’ve personally never had any problems on Android. I use Iceraven since it has more extensions and the only issue so far has been that initial load is often slow (because of the extensions I use).
I’ve only had like 1 issue on desktop in the last like 5 years. Mobile I’ve bumped into a few hiccups with forms, sliders, and other elements not working properly. If I can’t resolve the issue by requesting the desktop site I go to my computer or Chrome in an absolute emergency.
That said, I’d take a (waaay) sub-1% failure rate any day in exchange for having the joy of uBlock Origin on my phone. If you’re on Android, I can’t recommend Firefox enough thanks to the add-on support.
I use Floorp, works pretty well and has the option to look like Edge which I really like
I was in dehi recently. Poverty is kinda nuts there, but I noticed everyone had phones, even people who obviously had no home. I assume kinda shitty phones, but it makes you realize a bit how important access is. If someone releases an iOS only app with no web version, they’re basically saying fuck you to all those people.
Same same for this though. Googles saying “as long as you use our stuff you’ll be fine, and why wouldn’t you use our stuff because it’s free! (Sometimes kinda sorta). And if you’re stuck with something else for some reason, fuck you.”
Good article actually! I think non-tech-savvy people will also appreciate some kind of TL;DR
Edit: didn’t know Codeberg can host static sites, definitely migrating mine there from Guthib!
