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I tried creating a web browser, and Google blocked me

blog.samuelmaddock.com

511–520 of 632 posts

Re: I tried creating a web browser, and Google blocked me

#511
post #504

Boy howdy, this is one subject where I loathe saying "I told you so", but... I sure told you so.[1] HTML DRM is antithetical to the Open Web itself. It was built on a sham of "plugin-free" media playback, but all we did was change Flash and Silverlight for a whole range of closed black boxes, which in turn are effectively all controlled by Big Media ( to make it crystal clear: EME was built with third-party decryptio…

To be fair, even if there wasn't a DRM-standard, he still wouldn't be able to build his application, because there would still be DRM.

Re: I tried creating a web browser, and Google blocked me

#512

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Netflix is paying for shows that are produced, and they have exclusive rights, they can attach any distribution terms they want to them. You can't tell me with a straight face that somehow they don't have this power. DRM absolutely benefits them because it ensures that only parties they permit are allowed to access content, for the same reason it benefits other media companies.

> DRM absolutely benefits them because it ensures that only parties they permit are allowed to access content, for the same reason it benefits other media companies The fact that every pi8ece of Netflix content is on the pirate sites within hours of release would prove otherwise. Netflix is well aware of the uselessness of DRM. And you're right, they probably did negotiate DRM free licenses. But you missed the other…

I would argue the increased customer satisfaction from being able to stream 1080p/4K quality in more browsers with less esoteric hardware would be worth the extra implementation complexity (currently higher resolutions are disabled on browsers with weaker DRM or hardware without a pure HDCP path)

Re: I tried creating a web browser, and Google blocked me

#513
post #357

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Completely agree. Those government believe that protecting intellectual property is necessary to further human and societal progress. I won't take a position on whether I agree with that or not. However, based on that premise they've instituted rules to "protect" intellectual property, but unfortunately they're so weighted toward the "owner" of the IP that they do (IMHO serious) harm to regular users and consumers. I…

> ...but unfortunately they're so weighted toward the "owner" of the IP that they do (IMHO serious) harm to regular users and consumers. To the established owners of IP. If you're not an established creator, you're going to be on the side that gets hurt by the IP. Some IP claims are gonna hit you sooner or later, and even if they're complete bullshit, you won't be able to do anything about them. Established owners ca…

Absolutely. I have work floating around out there and I know it's being used without permission. Not that I'd sue someone if I could, but I can't while corporations can. And while for me I could maybe make a living off my work if it were being paid for rather than stolen, for the corporation it's just more profit.

Systems fucked. The little guy should have the advantage, not the already rich one.

Re: I tried creating a web browser, and Google blocked me

#514

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If a single company can effectively decide whether a bunch of 3rd party sites that they don't control work on your browser, how is that any different? Google is effectively deciding that anyone other than pre-approved browsers can't play Netflix content. If an ISP fully embraced the Net Neutrality repeal and started blocking video content, and someone posted on HN that ISPs were "blocking them from building a streami…

> If a single company can effectively decide whether a bunch of 3rd party sites that they don't control work on your browser, how is that any different? Because those third party sites choose to utilise closed software from that company. And Netflix doesn't only utilise Widevine as a DRM, it uses several different DRM systems, so Google don't have control over anything.

Agreed; most of the blame is on those third party sites.

Further, Google's own browser, Chrome, will not stream above 720p Netflix(and maybe Amazon now). So at most Google is a lesser DRM god.

Re: I tried creating a web browser, and Google blocked me

#515
post #480

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah yes, but then who controls those servers? A lot of people think that US Government agents own enough TOR nodes to de-anonymize.

To be fair, in my experience there seem to be a lot more people frustrated with ads than scared of the government. Someone who wants privacy/anonymity is likely to not want ads, but I think those who don't want ads is actually a larger group.

Why would a browser or extension client side not be better? Adding an intermediary would add latency needlessly...

Re: I tried creating a web browser, and Google blocked me

#516
post #504

Boy howdy, this is one subject where I loathe saying "I told you so", but... I sure told you so.[1] HTML DRM is antithetical to the Open Web itself. It was built on a sham of "plugin-free" media playback, but all we did was change Flash and Silverlight for a whole range of closed black boxes, which in turn are effectively all controlled by Big Media ( to make it crystal clear: EME was built with third-party decryptio…

Surprisingly to me the author of "down and out in the magic kingdom" and the maintainer of BOINGBOING supports web DRM and he's part of the W3C committee. he's a great author and a good person with an anti-authoritarian bent I don't understand his position on this.

Re: I tried creating a web browser, and Google blocked me

#517

The blame for this sits squarely on the w3c for their efforts in trying to replace flash by letting the content companies dictate standards for encrypted playback. If they had held fast, we could have forced the companies to do their key management in something like WebAssembly and avoided this gatekeeping mess.

Tim Berners-Lee's Google-funded $1M Turing award sure smelled like a payoff to me. If it wasn't, the timing sure was convenient.

Re: I tried creating a web browser, and Google blocked me

#519
post #392

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The government is propping up the companies because that's what the companies made happen. Your framing suggests that government did this on its own. It did not. The outsized ability of companies to influence the government is the core problem that must first be solved. It is the root of most people's gripes with the government.

The outsized ability of companies to influence the government is the core problem that must first be solved. Replace companies with nobility or aristocracy and you're talking about a problem as old as civilization itself. The fact is, small groups with control over a lot of resource (elites) will always work to consolidate and secure their power. Barring some radical, unforeseen technology, the masses of people will…

I don’t disagree. We need to get money out of politics. It’s been done before. It can be done again.

Re: I tried creating a web browser, and Google blocked me

#520

Is this a late april fools joke? "Metastream: Watch streaming media with friends." He's complaining that they won't let him use DRM. But his project's purpose is to literally broadcast media to your friends. DRM exists to prevent that.

>But his project's purpose is to literally broadcast media to your friends

Judging from the repo, there is no broadcast of content. Please take the time to read and think critically before you react with misinformation

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