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YouTube's Adblock detection might break the law in the EU

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Re: YouTube's Adblock detection might break the law in the EU

#111
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't that same argument apply to cookie consent popups? Privacy shouldn't only be afforded to the more technical users.

Doesn't that same argument apply to cookie consent popups? Yes! I would have much preferred the EU to make PSAs explaining how to disable cookies in browsers rather than inflicting popups on billions of users.

Companies are being purposefully obtuse with popups as a form of malicious compliance (and in some cases looking suspiciously like political statement) - and you're blaming the EU for it?

Re: YouTube's Adblock detection might break the law in the EU

#113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cookie consent popups are not mandated by the GDPR (the EU privacy law), they’re just a stupid (and often infringing) reaction to it. The GDPR disallows tracking without consent, but more in the spirit of “don’t track” than “get consent”. It also specifies that conditions should be clear, and that not granting consent (or withdrawing it) should be as simple as granting it. It even specifies that sites that request pr…

Cookie consent popups are not mandated by the GDPR (the EU privacy law), they’re just a stupid (and often infringing) reaction to it. They're an entirely rational and predictable reaction to it. If you're trying to regulate bad actors, it should be utterly unsurprising when they game the easily gameable rules. The GDPR disallows tracking without consent, but more in the spirit of “don’t track” than “get consent”. The…

> They're an entirely rational and predictable reaction to it.

The problem isn't that. The problem is that people are being convinced that malicious compliance is somehow the EU's fault. This is clearly the bad actors being bad; the thing that's being gamed isn't GDPR, but publicity around it. As in, the EU should probably invest some money in naming and shaming actors complying in bad faith (if at all).

Re: YouTube's Adblock detection might break the law in the EU

#115

I don't think this argument has any legs. You request a page from a web server, the server gives you back some html and some javascript, you execute the javascript which detects if you are using an adblocker. There is no tracking involved, if you believe the js you got back is spyware you can refrain from running it and you can't watch the vid. Should every website ask for your consent to serve you javascript now?

That would be a welcoming change! With html5 standard, pages can have text, image, video, even css animation, all without JS.

If the page need to load some SPA app, draw the canvas (accessing GPU), or WebUSB, etc, then ask for permission would be a good idea. Just like how accessing ones' camera and mic requires permission. It will force web developers to do less stuff in JS for just display. And if an app type of application is needed, then ask for permission.

Re: YouTube's Adblock detection might break the law in the EU

#116

I don't think this argument has any legs. You request a page from a web server, the server gives you back some html and some javascript, you execute the javascript which detects if you are using an adblocker. There is no tracking involved, if you believe the js you got back is spyware you can refrain from running it and you can't watch the vid. Should every website ask for your consent to serve you javascript now?

That would be a welcoming change! With html5 standard, pages can have text, image, video, even css animation, all without JS. If the page need to load some SPA app, draw the canvas (accessing GPU), or WebUSB, etc, then ask for permission would be a good idea. Just like how accessing ones' camera and mic requires permission. It will force web developers to do less stuff in JS for just display. And if an app type of ap…

Please no, cookie banners are annoying enough.

Re: YouTube's Adblock detection might break the law in the EU

#118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't that same argument apply to cookie consent popups? Yes! I would have much preferred the EU to make PSAs explaining how to disable cookies in browsers rather than inflicting popups on billions of users.

Companies are being purposefully obtuse with popups as a form of malicious compliance (and in some cases looking suspiciously like political statement) - and you're blaming the EU for it?

you're blaming the EU for it?

Yes. If you create regulations with the assumption that they will be followed exactly how you want them to be rather than considering how entities who don't share your goals will react, you are doing a bad job.

Re: YouTube's Adblock detection might break the law in the EU

#119
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The profile being a "Uses Ad Blocker Y/N" ?

I was under the false impression they have hash that was created by playing the ad and got that back to confirm the ad ran somehow. I'm not familiar with tbh because the idea of working on ad software and SEO seem like the most boring possibly ethically dubious jobs.

It is, it also makes so much money, that google can pay people tons and basically throw all the amenities at them to keep them happy.

Re: YouTube's Adblock detection might break the law in the EU

#120
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pointless, you are already in complete control of this. Just disable JS, enable it when you want. If a website doesn’t support your usecase, that’s on you, there is no ADA requirement for JS-free websites

Doesn't that same argument apply to cookie consent popups? Privacy shouldn't only be afforded to the more technical users.

It does and that's what makes the nonsense of cookie consent laws. How are you going to keep track of the user's preference of "no" to cookie tracking? It's the browser saving the data, not the website.
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