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The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

standard.co.uk

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Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#131

Post by sidlls »

contravariant wrote: post #84
mlindner wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do all the people who use computers to browse the internet (the majority of people on the internet) suddenly no longer exist?

I'm wondering if those still are the majority, worldwide. Smart-phones have done a lot to democratize computing power (now if only they weren't used to put >90% of their users in corporate controlled walled gardens...)

Smart phones didn’t change anything here: 99% of their users didn’t care about the “open” nature of desktops before they were a thing, too. A vanishingly small percentage of computer users care about tinkering and openness. It’s been decades since tinkerers and hackers were the majority of computer users.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#132

Post by stjohnswarts »

madars wrote: post #71

Or, in other words, FBI now recommends using Android :-) It's baffling how much better uBlock Origin + Firefox experience on Android is compared to any iOS ad blocker I have tried. They kind-of work but let half of the ads through.

meh there are adblockers on iphone that do about 90% of what ublocker does (defaults, not tweaked). Good enough for me to not have google in my life.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#134

Post by stjohnswarts »

pimlottc wrote: post #129
scarface74 wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So tell me what ads I’m not blocking and haven’t been blocking for the last 7 years on iOS? And bonus points - my ad blocker works with embedded web views

PiHole?

You don't need pihole. there are adblockers on iOS. They aren't as flexible as ublock on android but they're 98% there and good enough with the added advantage that google isn't spying on your every move and sending it back to the mothership.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#135

Post by paxys »

rrrrrrrrrrrryan wrote: post #119
paxys wrote: post #106

Those who are a bit tech minded – consider adding DNS filtering on your home network (using pi-hole or something else). It has drastically changed my web experience for the better, including across iPhone apps, smart TVs and other surfaces where ad blockers can't help.

I see this advice a lot but I can't imagine it working better than using a system level adblocker like AdAway on my phone. (Smart TVs I understand, though mine seem to be unusually ad-less compared to what I've heard Samsung does). What if you're out and about disconnected from WiFi? What if you need to turn the thing off for a sec to click on a sale/promotion in an email?

What system level adblocker works on iOS?

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#136

Post by panny »

I am puzzled here. Why is the FBI expecting the free market to solve the problem created by the free market? Are these scams somehow legal? If the scam is illegal, and search engines are promoting the scams at the top of search rankings, doesn't that make the search engine an accomplice in the scam?

If I invited crack dealers to deal out of my house for a small cut of the proceeds, I'm pretty sure I go to jail when they're caught. That's essentially what search engines are doing here.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#137

Post by cactusplant7374 »

happybuy wrote: post #117
gigatexal wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The app works well enough but I deleted it. After setting it all up there’s no mention that it will work without the subscription. There’s no mode to say “continue without the subscription using the free services” just a very large button and a description of the price to subscribe. That’s hella sus. Also the very first screen doesn’t let you opt out of notifications or skip it with “setup later” etc etc — these cust…

Appreciate the feedback. We'll take it on board for improvements in the future. We recently moved to a paid app model with a 30-day free trial available (from a freemium app model). Understand that this is not as appealing as a free-forever product. We found that we had hundreds of thousands of free users and not enough paid users. After developing the app for many years under this model, we had to make some changes…

How does this compare with just using Brave?

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#138

Post by akoumis »

rrrrrrrrrrrryan wrote: post #119
paxys wrote: post #106

Those who are a bit tech minded – consider adding DNS filtering on your home network (using pi-hole or something else). It has drastically changed my web experience for the better, including across iPhone apps, smart TVs and other surfaces where ad blockers can't help.

I see this advice a lot but I can't imagine it working better than using a system level adblocker like AdAway on my phone. (Smart TVs I understand, though mine seem to be unusually ad-less compared to what I've heard Samsung does). What if you're out and about disconnected from WiFi? What if you need to turn the thing off for a sec to click on a sale/promotion in an email?

Out and about: yeah install something on your phone (or use a self hosted vpn that plugs into pihole? never tried it) Need to click on sale: You can easily temporarily disable it in the web interface in 1 click

It's a nice way to block ads for any wifi connected device in your house without additional setup. There are probably 10+ ad-serving devices in my house between the TV's, laptops, tablets, and phones.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#139

Post by JasserInicide »

TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #97
halfjoking wrote: post #17

FBI must have infiltrated ad blocker servers containing malicious url lists. Never using an adblocker again.

Huh, I always get down voted for saying something very similar. It's a rational assumption and should be taken in to consideration to the extent any particular threat-model should or shouldn't.

Any serious schizo worth their weight would only be using an airgapped system at home and only connecting to the Internet from public APs with a completely separate computer.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#140

Post by rrrrrrrrrrrryan »

paxys wrote: post #135
rrrrrrrrrrrryan wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see this advice a lot but I can't imagine it working better than using a system level adblocker like AdAway on my phone. (Smart TVs I understand, though mine seem to be unusually ad-less compared to what I've heard Samsung does). What if you're out and about disconnected from WiFi? What if you need to turn the thing off for a sec to click on a sale/promotion in an email?

What system level adblocker works on iOS?

Not sure - I haven't owned an Apple device since an iPod circa 2007.

Do iPhones still really not have a way to block in-app ads?

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