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Google cracks down on VPN based adblockers

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Re: Google cracks down on VPN based adblockers

#241
The problem is not just ads.

In this comment I’m going to explain why the problem is not just ads.

What are ads? Advertizing, or marketing, is a common means of monetizing content.

Here are the top three reasons ads are used on websites:

1. Monetization

2. Tracking users

3. Malware distribution

Want to know more about how ads track users? Read on.

As a guy growing up in rural Wyoming, ads weren’t something that ever really bothered me. Sure there was the occasional billboard and sure television had a lot of commercials breaks, but I was used to it. The idea of using an ad blocker on my television set never occurred to me. I remember this one time when my uncle was moving house and he needed some help and I helped him move the packing crates into the truck and the crates had the logo and name of the shipping company stencilled on the side, and it never bothered me, although that was in fact an ad.

Experts agree that the following method is great for dealing with ads:

First, make sure what you are looking at is an ad. You can often tell by the little x in the corner of the ad. If you click this, you will be able to close the ad and maybe even give some feedback about why you didn’t like the ad. Top tip: always fill this in to let the ad vendor know how to improve the ad for next time.

But take care! This next tip is really important.

If you don’t hit the little x exactly on target, you will be taken to the website of the ad. If you didn’t want the ad in the first place, this is surely something to avoid!

Here are 17 resolutions for dealing with accidentally visiting a website you didn’t want to visit:

1. Try restarting your phone, laptop or PC.

2. Close the browser window. Click here for help on how to accomplish this task.

3. Try clicking the back button on your browser.

4. Write to the FCC if the website caused you distress.

5. Take a walk. Besides being good exercise, the problem may have resolved itself by the time you return.

6. Hit refresh on your browser. If you didn’t like the website first time round, you know what they say? Try, try again!

7. Go to the URL bar on your browser and type in a different address. Don’t forget to hit the Enter key. Try the following helpful URLs from our trusted partners:

https://www.geico.com

https://www.espn.com

https://www.target.com

8. Raise a ticket with Apple support.

9. Install Google Chrome.

10. Re-install Google Chrome.

11. Contact your ISP. My top tip? Threaten to cancel unless they can resolve your issue completely right away!

12. Close all open windows and applications and wait 30 seconds.

13. Clear your cookies and web browsing history.

14. …

Show more.

Re: Google cracks down on VPN based adblockers

#242

Firefox for Android with ublock origin makes my mobile web browsing sane again. Highly recommended.

The experience is so awful when I browse on my iPad, instead of my Android phone with Firefox+UBlock. I really don't understand how most people can stand to browse with all the ads. The modern web is so much worse than the pop up ads of the old web.

I just Adblock at the router level on my Turris Omnia. WireGuard into that and out again when mobile.

Re: Google cracks down on VPN based adblockers

#243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The experience is so awful when I browse on my iPad, instead of my Android phone with Firefox+UBlock. I really don't understand how most people can stand to browse with all the ads. The modern web is so much worse than the pop up ads of the old web.

> The experience is so awful when I browse on my iPad, instead of my Android phone with Firefox+UBlock. I really don't understand how most people can stand to browse with all the ads. Most people don’t. Most people who use anything for iOS tend to use things like: - 1Blocker - super full featured, including custom script and css rules. business model is paid software, not ‘acceptable ads’ paying them for placement or…

Whoa.

Customized adblocking DNS servers?

This is definitely striking me as one of those "why didn't I think of that" and "why don't we already have a lot of this?" Any ideas? Seems like you could go wild with this and do something like "Tor"ify, or "torrentify" or dare I say "blockchain" it?

Someone can probably school me on why this is harder than it sounds.

Re: Google cracks down on VPN based adblockers

#244
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I really don't understand how most people can stand to browse with all the ads In my case, I browse a limited number of web sites that offer no ads (or a minimum amount). The moment I visit a web site with tons of ads, I just close it immediately and just ignore my original intention of visiting that website (e.g., this happens sometimes in HN: people link websites of newspapers, but I don't last in them more than…

I'm in a similar boat, except for recipe sites. That's the one time I find myself bothered by ads.

Buy a subscription to America's test kitchen. For just ATK it's like $40 for one site or $80 for all of their sites and free shipping from their shop. And that's if you don't use a discount code (and they are always running some kind of a discount). You get access to ATK, Cook's Illustrated, Cook's Country, their app, and again free shipping.

It's worth it to avoid all the bullshit blogspam, even without the ATK rating and reviews (which are super useful on their own as well).

Re: Google cracks down on VPN based adblockers

#245

https://f-droid.org I've used Netguard off F-Droid before, it's really nice when you turn on the filter: https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard/blob/master/ADBLOCKING.md .

It is/was fantastic and an essential application for android. It is the first app I install before letting a new android phone connect to the internet. edit: the app is still maintained & the dev is still active on the Netguard thread, although there was a prior issue with google where he had stopped development https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/app-6-0-netguard-no-root-... https://netguard.me/

He only stopped for a few days before the Google issue ended up being resolved. He's still developing.

https://github.com/M66B/FairEmail/releases/tag/1.1957

Re: Google cracks down on VPN based adblockers

#246
post #103

In my experience the biggest problem with VPN-based adblocking is the battery drain when the signal is poor. I regularly spend time in a well-insulated room and forgetting to turn my VPN off has a very noticeable impact at the end of the day. Which is a shame, because Chrome is a hell of a lot snappier than Firefox Android.

Is it? Chrome is definitely not snappier than Firefox with ublock origin on Android.

Perhaps it depends on your setup. My device only has 6GB of ram.

Re: Google cracks down on VPN based adblockers

#247
post #58

I use adaway which simply replace the /etc/hosts file, but requires root. I consider a phone a paperweight if I cannot have root on it, but I realize this might be different for other users.

What are you going to do once Google makes TEE-based bootloader unlock checking a mandatory part of SafetyNet? Right now, I'm in the same camp as you, and I don't have a good answer to that myself.

Re: Google cracks down on VPN based adblockers

#248
post #221

I categorically reject ads. I want them completely abolished. I will do everything that's in my power to get them out of my machines. If I had just a little bit more courage I would go out at night with cans of spray paint and deface billboards.

How do you propose sites/YouTube channels monetise themselves (for sustenance or profit)?

I'm not responsible for Youtube's business plans. Don't they pay executives a lot of money to make their business plans for them?

Re: Google cracks down on VPN based adblockers

#249
post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Getting money for running websites is also non-mandatory? Are we going to fund them from the government 5-year plans yet? Our hosting expenses alone are 8k per month.

> Getting money for running websites is also non-mandatory? Your business problems aren't our concern. If you're financing your business by stealing personal information from users and selling it to data brokers, then you're a crook. Crooks tend to have high hosting expenses.

"Our" as in Robespierre's Committee of Public Safety concern? What do you know about hosting expenses? I have been running a website that you know and use with 100m users since 2004!

Re: Google cracks down on VPN based adblockers

#250
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I really don't understand how most people can stand to browse with all the ads In my case, I browse a limited number of web sites that offer no ads (or a minimum amount). The moment I visit a web site with tons of ads, I just close it immediately and just ignore my original intention of visiting that website (e.g., this happens sometimes in HN: people link websites of newspapers, but I don't last in them more than…

I'm in a similar boat, except for recipe sites. That's the one time I find myself bothered by ads.

If you like to browse recipes on your iPad/iPhone/Android device, the Paprika recipe manager app is really good for this. It adds a share sheet button that will pull the ingredients and instructions out of a page and let you read them easily (or save them to the app). It's wonderful.

https://www.paprikaapp.com/

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