Why browser extensions such as AdBlock can be dangerous for privacy
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- Опубликовано: 21 сен 2024
- In this episode, we explore why browser extensions such as AdBlock can be dangerous for privacy.
Spoiler: AdBlock has been acquired by an undisclosed buyer, uses Google Analytics to “aggregate information about traffic patterns and how [their] website and extension are used” and “sometimes share[s] anonymized and aggregated information that cannot be associated with an individual with third parties or the public”.
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SUGGESTED
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Mark vs Pavel vs Moxie and why governance is everything 👉 • Mark vs Pavel vs Moxie...
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LINKS
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Adblock extension with 40 million users sells to mystery buyer, refuses to name new owner 👉 thenextweb.com...
AdBlock Privacy Policy 👉 getadblock.com...
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Support this channel 👉 sunknudsen.com...
Finally someone is speaking about this! No one seems to pay attention to how much access the extensions are demanding in order to work at all
yeah but its not like what I look up is bad or something
@@chrisotb But they don't have the right to know everything you're doing on the internet
@@Galaxia53 yeah but at the same time i don't really care
@Champion Daruk guys why does it matter what they see what i look up....
@BladeCast bro not like i have sensitive info that im hiding lol
Wow such an underrated episode 😞 This should be everywhere
Thanks for sharing. 🤓
This is mind-blowing I always thought I was privacy conscious and here I am using adblock on all my pcs
Picks the shadiest blocker to make the point of "never use an ad blocker"...not very good advice. And I smell a bias here., especially this coming from a content creator. There are other ways of making money on the internet than via ads.
But privacy badger and httpseverywhere also require these permissions though? This is just privacy by trust, not by design. Very flawed as well.
Lol - I've been binge watching your videos. I never thought I was a paranoid person, but I'm now constructing my tinfoil hat. But seriously, great info all around on every video I've seen. I've made a bunch of changes to my systems/passwords/password managers/browser/extensions/2FA external keys/etc. Thank you so much!
Thanks for the push Ryan. I am really happy this research is helpful to others. 🤓
But Privace badger extension says:
Requires your permission to:
Access browser tabs;
Access browser activity while browsing;
Read and modify privacy settings;
And finally: Access your data on all sites.
I don't know much about protection in browsers. Are we safer with Privacy badger?
Yes and no, you shouldn't trust any extension or generally piece of software, but at least Privacy Badger is from an organization that's very public about it's intentions and is reputable.
With all the annoying ads with RUclips now I’ll still use mine.
Never installing **an** adblocker?
You seem like you want to influence people so they watch your videos without adblocker, ublock origin is very trusted and not shady.
but i agree this adblocker you're showing is very shady
I read Postman's book on television, Amusing Ourselves to Death.
His diatribe on commercials specifically - that they essentially amount to a 15 second promise of happiness, peace, and solutions and teach us to think life ought to be so - rings true.
On that account, I'm not terribly bothered about giving up the vast majority of my information just to get peace of mind and think like a normal human being.
If you want an adblock that's not something you have to worry about stealing your data, you should be using generic AdBlock Plus. They abide by the European laws and articles, and explicitly state in their privacy policy that both "eyeo (the company who runs AdBlock Plus) collects personal data only to the extent that is necessary to provide you with its services." and that "eyeo never sells data to third parties". While they could definitely change these rules in the future, they haven't done so the 16 years they've been around (19 if you count the original AdBlock) and I would say they can reasonably be trusted.
So which are blocker do you recommend for users and also which is best for blocking Facebook sponsor ads?
Hey Luke, the only one I would consider using is uBlock Origin. github.com/gorhill/uBlock
fun fact Adblock was purchased in April 2021 from the developer eyeo GmbH who is the developer of Adblock plus.
I know this video is pretty old but this saved me. Thanks a lot!
I use uBlock Origin and I think the positives far outweigh the points that are perhaps negative.
UBlock Origin is even worse:
Access your data for all websites
Access IP address and hostname information
Read and modify privacy settings
Access browser tabs
Store unlimited amount of client-side data
Access browser activity during navigation
All that to block a couple of advertisements.
ublock is open source btw
Hey, thank you for the review.
It is really insightful hearing from someone who knows how it works.
The researches and evidence are really on point too.
Keep up the great content!
What would be the difference of
HTTPS Everywhere by EFF Technologists
Privacy Badger by EFF Technologists
?
I installed both and have been permitted to access data from all your websites, tabs and navigation.
Could you specify?
Thanks for your content info...
Thanks for this informative video. I'm currently on AdBlock Pro due to its support for iOS devices. I searched for privacy badger, but it's not supported on iOS devices. Do you have any recommendations for this?
I don't get it. Privacy Badger also asks for permission to access your data for all websites, read AND modify privacy settings, access browser tabs, access browser activity during navigation..... Strange that you're suggesting this.
as if ads weren't dangerous for my privacy
What's the safe, secure alternative if you don't want to be inundated with popups, ads, and all manner of Online breaches?
ublock origin 100%
Hey i've been using Adblock for a long time I just uninstalled it, is it to late for me?
I'm a bit confused, on one hand you state not to trust something that is deep rooted in your browser with mentioned control yet Privacy Badger demands the same priviliges as Ublock Origin for example. So why trust one and not the other?
Take strong notice, in this video, a *content creator * is the sole judge of these very convenient tools; tools that are increasingly known as *content creator's worst enemy*. As you can imagine, without ads, *RUclips content creators* do not get paid.
As the *content creator* mentions in the video, yes, of course the extension needs permission to monitor browser activity. Contrary to this video *creator's* idea that the AdBlock extension featured in the video is uniquely asking for these permissions, ALL ad blocking extensions/software must ASK for these permissions to properly function. Without these permissions, the extension has no ad blocking functionality.
Use common sense and install extensions that have long running credibility.
Did you even watch the video? he was an advocate for ad blockers, but the access in specific that it said you needed to give up access to, even though there were safer alternatives, was his point.
@@brickknem Then don't install plugins you don't write yourself, and you'll never have to worry about anything online ever.
@@JolanXBL i know gang
Surely, but there are better governed ad/tracking blockers that work just fine. AdBlock is nothing special and apparently compromised by design, so it's just malicious software.
So is this actually dangerous or does the RUclipsr who makes money off our ads just want to make sure he can continue to make money off of us?
Being forced to watch ads is still worse.
i agree
what if I wanted to only block ads on RUclips, just for convenience and to not have to sit through the ads? what would be the best way to go about that in your opinion?
Pity that the browsers like firefox doesnt have a protections of that extensions.
There are no ads for any products that I am interested in, on anyones youtube channel. It's typically a bunch of crap.
And HTTPS everywhere says it can read and change all your data on all websites...How is that better than adblock.
I would rather leak some privacy than watching ads on videos
😊actually i installed it to stop pop ups
Thanks. If it is installed, would you have any special advice on removing it - or would Firefox remove tools be enough? Very interesting, by the way, Sun, and thank you for posting.
But AdBlock Plus is OK?
Thank you so much, for telling us about how they can see all your browsing history and privacy information
No he just want u to watch with ads so he can earn money lmao
thank you for posting this. I had a question about Mac since I notice you use one as well. With the new apple software update ( MacOS Big Sur) the App Store built into Mac's now has a "App Privacy" section under App's info. I noticed an extension called "AdBlock Pro for Safari" , why is it listed under the Mac App Store under the Crypto Inc. developer? is this a different app than the AdBlock you mention in your video? Thank you for putting in the time to make this video!!
Simply, You Are saying You should not use AdBlock! And only use certified and safe extensions.
How about something like Pihole that just targets the dns queries before sending it to a device?
Great video, but do you have any suggestions how to stop all annoying adds from sites like youtube etc? I was wondering what do you used
The only ad blocker I would consider using (but don't) is uBlock Origin. Personally, I pay for Premium. We need to break free from the advertising business model... The only way out is paying for things we like on the Internet.
You're incredible! Glad you are always on the case.
Thank you for looking out for us.
I don't use any extension on my browser ( chrome) but I add extension to Mozilla Firefox without logging in using my G account ! so there is no information that I care about on my second browser. does that make me kind of safe !
I hope to get an expert answer just like yourself. thanks
browser extensions such as adblockers need to to know what type of personalized ads to not give you and keep all ads away at the same time.
Bad with it, worse without it!
Thank you for this video. I was looking into content blockers on my iPad the other day and I just wanted to try out different ones. AdGuard asked for permissions and I immediately knew that was concerning so I deleted the app. I downloaded Ka-Block! and it didn’t ask for permissions.
great video. is there somewhere to go where ppl like yourself are reviewing these extensions and rating their safety/privacy? an ongoing list would be amazing. do ad blocks have access to all your profiles on whichever browser you install it on? or is it limited to that single profile?
I used Ad Block for about 8 years!!!! this is quite scary, thanks for covering it! I use the Brave Browser now, i checked your videos to see if you have covered this Browser, is it possible to make a video on on it please? i'm watching more of your videos now, very intresting channel bud, well done! 🥰🥰
tell me which application does not ask for permissions? I don't see the point of this video when all applications require installation permissions ... especially those on android google play.
Once you access google, the worst google employee sees your activity.
is there an ez way to block ads that is safe and dose not cost anything ?
Thank you for the explanation
Hi Sun , your infos are priceless, but how can we be sure an extension could be safe? are they also dangerous for temporary use or not? I mean after we install and use them and then uninstall it?
Hi Nader, in theory, browser extensions are deactivated and deleted when uninstalled. Restarting the browser is good idea to be extra sure.
@@sunknudsen Thank you so much
If it is open source look at the code
@@frozenturbo8623 yeah because everyone knows that that is
thank you so much, i never knew this.
i came on to youtube to look for "best free add blockers" and now i am definitely not getting one.
I was trying to block a series of popups that have infected my computer. Isn't Chrome supposed to keep that crap out of my computer? I've turned off popups in setting but they still show up every two to three minutes. Help.
Then how you combat the ads? They can be a lot worse than the addon
I use Firefox with Enhance Tracking Protection on... which takes care of bad actors... I enjoy ads or pay for a service for the rest... this is how the internet is monetized unfortunately. Until people are willing to pay for new, social... etc... ads are the only way forward.
@@sunknudsen That doesn't take care of bad actors lmao
@@sunknudsen thank you so much
Great video
Whats your opinion on AdGuard for safari ?
I think it's crap i removed from my Mac after popup from Apple quote "saying there was Russian malicious access behind the App". I'm trying to figure out how to remove it " COMPLETELY" from my Android phone!!🙏
Hi there. I really liked your glasses. Could you tell which brand and model is?
HTTPS Everywhere is EOL and will stop working any day now. What about Privacy Badger? Will that be EOL as well?
I use adblocker only to block trackers and annoyances, otherwise I would need like 2-3 more extensions. I have all ads allowed (especially google), even those blocked by default by browsers.
@sun knudsen after saying that adblock/adblockers are not the best bet for privacy and blocking ads. How are we supposed to use SAFARI without our browsing being slower, gettimg ads all day long? Teach us a better to do it on MAC. Regards
then which ad blocker we should use? privacy badger?
Privacy Badger is not needed anymore, since uBlock Origin exists already
which version of macOS are you using in this video? 2020 this video was posted but the macOS looks OLD like Yosemite?
What about Brave that has its own ad blocker. Is that also bad?
Never use regular adblock
ublock origin for life
soooooo do you have any ad block extension that you might want to recommend?
close to none
Ublock origin (don't get ublock without origin it's fake) and adguard (adguard DNS is also good on android)
Excellent analyse! Pity that the comunity is not anymore capable to explore and found this kind of breach in the system. Popular apps with support of big tanks is obviously dissidence controled....basically troyan horses.
yeah but adverts are literally brainwashing garbage...... what's more important, your mind or your pc?
1 computer for surfing the web and gaming, 1 computer for banking.
needed to watch this video from over a year ago since it always seemed ironic that adblock is advertised in pop-up ads on videos and web pages.
UBlock Origin is even worse:
Access your data for all websites
Access IP address and hostname information
Read and modify privacy settings
Access browser tabs
Store unlimited amount of client-side data
Access browser activity during navigation
All that to block a couple of advertisements.
UBlock Origin has been nearly perfect for me since I found it in 2015, in the browsers I use (Mostly just Firefox, rarely use Chrome or Brave). And it's open source. Look at the code, and look at some more reviews. It's the best content filter/ad blocker available for web browsers.
@@bigjoegamer If that's the case, Joe, why does installing it mean that we have to agree to all of their demands in regards to accessing all of our private data I highlighted in my first post? It seems to me that harvesting our personal data and selling it on to third parties is the real reason they created their software in the first place.
"Peoples' personal date is the oil wells of the 21st century." - Boris Johnson's speech to the United Nations in 2019.
@@wolfenstein6676 Because with something as lucrative as advertising, corporations will do as much as they can to get control over your browser. Therefore, you have to fight fire with fire - giving an ad blocking/content filtering software the same (or greater) amount of control to fight back with good results and intentions. That is trustworthy because of the well-regarded and transparent nature of open source software like UBlock Origin.
@@bigjoegamer I'll think about what you've said, Joe, thanks for the reply.
@@wolfenstein6676 You're welcome. Thank you for listening. And I, too, love Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Wolfenstein Enemy Territory. A remaster or remake of those games might be good to see someday
i have been watching some of your videos, and i understand that you are not using a ad-blocker at all. So when you are watching youtube videos you are watching ads? or are you using mpv + youtube-dl instead to get around that kind of ads :) great channel by the way!
I actually "solve" that problem by paying for RUclips Premium. That being said, I understand not everyone would choose that option. Unfortunately, until we are willing to pay for this stuff, we will be stuck with the current advertising model which leads to us being tracked.
@@sunknudsen i see, going that route is a good way to go. it's good to be paying for things you are using.
@@sunknudsen maybe use Brave browser ;)
Ok, while I will admit some of this went over my head, (It has been several years since I worked in this area and the technology has passed me by), I get the gist of it, and understand the basics. It's like the fact that the only way Alexa works and can immediately execute commands is because it's listening and recording 24 hours a day . Having said that though, if we should not install adblocker, what can you do with channels that you love, but literally have the exact same ad playing every 3 or 4 minutes? The. Exact. Same. Ad.
I'm not talking about channels that are comedy, or top ten, or memes or anything like this. I'm talking about audiobooks, classical music channels, documentaries, etc. I literally cannot watch the Old Spice commercial or HelloFresh commercials one more time. The same two commercials have popped up literally fifty times today. (and if I am forced to see the Tampax commercial with Amy Schumaker with a tampon string hanging out of her mouth, or talking about her genitals one more time, I may lose it). I can see these advertisers on a makeup channel, but I'm talking about classical violin here. Does anyone have any way to block a particular commercial or block commercials from a certain channel, or any advice at all about this? Because otherwise I might just install the AdBlock and risk it. I have dealt with ads on RUclips all these years, but honestly Old Spice and Tampax have broken me.
Pretty sure you can have a paid youtube account (youtube premium?) with no ads if it bothers you that much
@@markopredovan9689 And give money to Susan wojcicki while a sliver of that money goes to the creators you watch? No thank you
LOL
@@markopredovan9689 Yeah if you have a problem just make it worse
@@markopredovan9689 im sticking with the adblock fuck simply and their bullshit
you're doing good work, you channel needs to grow. subbed :)
I have an extension called 'Forest' which is basically a timer for productivity. Are all chrome extensions dangerous?
Not all, but it's best to stick to ones developed by well-known, reputable companies.
Not to slander individuals or 'new' companies, as I'm sure there's plenty of respectable extension developers that truly appreciate and care about their users, but there's been plenty of cases where those two entities have ended up selling their extensions to anonymous buyers without informing their userbase, and those anonymous buyers have proceeded to compromise the privacy and security of the unaware userbase.
Awesome info!
I just got adblock, should i remove it right now? Please answer. I hope this isn't misleading
I just deleted it, no worries now
know any good free ad blockers?
What about AdBlocker for RUclips, same company? Thanks for supporting us! 🙂👍
I was about to download ad blocker extension, but after watching your useful video I decided not to download such extensions ever..!! Thankiuuuuuuu so much for the knowledge.
I really hate ads especially on this website, but what about Ublock Origin? or what the hell can we use for annoying ads on any web browser?
UBlock Origin is even worse:
Access your data for all websites
Access IP address and hostname information
Read and modify privacy settings
Access browser tabs
Store unlimited amount of client-side data
Access browser activity during navigation
All that to block a couple of advertisements.
@@wolfenstein6676 ok so what do you suggest to block ads then?
@@MyDogSteppedOnaBeee That's the problem, I can't find anything that isn't actually less invasive than the adds themselves. There's literally no software or applications available that actually have the users' best interests at heart. They all seem to be created by self-serving profiteers.
@@wolfenstein6676 yeah idk it seems that way i just hate ads so annoying lol. What about privacy badger? 🤷♂ Have you ever tried Orion browser? it has built in blockers and you can add any extensions you want from Firefox, chrome, etc. I heard it was good I saw a demo online.
I don't want to watch ads and I will do anything for it.
Is Luna add blocker is part of this problem? And do they have access to login credentials? Thanks for the content.
What about Ublock Origin, is it safe?
uBlock Origin is the only ad blocker I would use myself.
In one of the Firefox privacy videos it was suggested to add extensions Privacy Badger, Containers and HTTPS Everywhere. If you do that in Firefox for Windows, it will come out and ask for your consent to grant each of these extensions the right to access all of your data everywhere, as shown in this video for adBlock. So it seems these attempt to increase privacy may in fact end up compromising it instead. Any thoughts on that?
I don't understand that last sentence. you mean is it compromising bc people may allow full access via misclick or just not reading before granting permission? what's the downside?
grow a spine!
what about adblock ultimate
I freaking knew it!Thank you for explaining it.Im a little weird but harmless and my friend bought that crap.I told him That those types of extensions go deep with in your system!He told me to stop smoking so much weed because it's making me paraniod!
I mean depend on which AdBlocker you use. This one in video is shady but extensions like uBlock Origin which are open source and don’t collect your data are recommended and used by many since using the internet without Adblock in 2022 is like using a motorcycle without a helmet
Its pretty interesting topic to hear, firstly im coming here to seek an information if ADblock plus does making changes with youtube videos speed load and seek on Chrome browser.. but now im thinking twice if installing adblock plus is actually a good idea or not. Good content
also i don't know if adblock plus does the same but it is by different devs
yeah i just downloaded adblock as i have come across.. inappropiate ads and i do not want to be traumatised
Hey Sun, just found your videos and I really like what you’re putting out. I was wondering if you had any recommendations for privacy browsers besides ddg. I like it a lot but it’s always good to have a backup. I saw your startpage video and I’m sad to see that alternative go down that way. Another engine I know of is qwant but it’s partnered with Huawei so I have no trust in it anymore. So is ddg the only decent privacy focused search engine left?
Hey Michael, welcome to the channel. Unfortunately, the more I dig, the more I discover that most company labelled as "privacy advocates" are essentially opportunists that are focused on turning a profit. Truth is it’s very hard (perhaps impossible) to monetize "privacy" in today’s world hence why I support the EFF, Mozilla and the Signal Foundation, all of which are doing remarkable work for privacy (as non-profits). Now, to answer your question, Google is by far the most powerful search engine... I recommend using it (anonymously) behind Tor. I think next episode will be on Tor and the Tor Browser.
Sun Knudsen awesome and thanks for the response!
GREAT video, no idea what the dislikes are about. I guess they assume you're just saying this for the sake of income.
Thank you for the information. Will installing a local Pi-hole DNS server a good idea to replace Adblock?
Depends on your use case and the lists you will apply to it. PiHole is amazing for what it was made for, and that's not exactly the same usecase as adblock. Although it will block websites that serve ads or tracking and potentially malicious sites, it doesn't allow for blocking HTML elements or scripts that are part of a page.
So, partially...yes.
My personal recommendation for adblocker is uBlock Origin. Same dev who started it still owns it, opensource with over 100 contributors, lots of great guides, and amazing support for multiple lists and rules.
Refreshed the page, opened this video from different chrome isntances. NOT A SINGLE AD... hmmmmmm..
so i have ad block plus, https everywhere, password alert by google and traffic light.
How's ublock Origin compared to it?
I have paid for services for past 4 months and cannot cancel
If I use the ad blocking extension with the permission granted only for one particular web site, will it help me protect my privacy on all other sites?
Thoughts on ublock origin then?
So, what's a good ad blocker to use?
The only one I would consider using is uBlock Origin.
If I uninstall than I should be fine?
I used to use Adblock in the past but i don't fully trust it even though i am so sick and tired of the darn mid roll ads that makes watching RUclips videos even less tolerable and more of an annoyance nowadays.
Feel you... wish there were alternatives... have you tried uBlock Origin? That being said, we have to find ways to compensate content creators... currently advertising is hard to replace as few are willing to pay for content.
@@sunknudsen I haven't ttied ublock origin. I recently joined Odysee which looks like the best alternative to RUclips.
@@sunknudsen Ad revenue marketing is just about the worst way to support content creators.
I wish you would go a bit deeper about this.
Are ALL AdBlocks created equally?
Thanks for sharing... have you tried uBlock Origin? The project has a great reputation.
@@sunknudsen Is that a better add-on for blocking ads? I just can't stand ads... Drives me crazy.
No, adguard can also remove phishing sites
Hi Sun! nice videos. What's your opinion on adguard for mac?
Thanks! I don't know AdGuard... Here is how I would evaluate the project. Is the project open source and peer reviewed? If proprietary, has it been vetted by the privacy and security community? Are there open source alternatives that perform similarly? That being said, have you looked into uBlock Origin?
@@sunknudsen Thanks for the methodology. But Adguard seems to be beyond a browser plugin. "AdGuard needs to work on a network level to control all apps on your device. To do so, we use a special network driver, which activates the actual transmission and receipt of data over the network." Is it good or bad? how do I know Adguard isn't by itself MITM?
@@matkoshy AdGuard list exactly which data they collect and on which occasion - it's on their website. Obvously, adGuard can do whatever they want but they seem to be trusted. You can set another proxy like mitm or little snitch to sit between adguard proxy and your router to monitor the data being collected and sent. You can then block specific requests you are concerned about. But I would said you either trust it or not.
I love your youtube channel !
Thanks for the push!
I have a question a black blank windows tab appears every 5 mins do you think its because of the Adblocker or something else please let me know
Edit it closes my chrome tab while removing all of my extensions
Is there an ad blocker that won't be spying on you ?
Great video, this came like a god send when I just installed this thing , after a few minutes I ended up uninstalling the extension, but still I just wanted to ask, is it safe just by uninstalling the extension or we need to do something more to make sure it uninstalled completely?
If you are using Firefox, uninstalling the web extension should be enough.
@@sunknudsen How about google Chrome ?
@@technicalanalysisschool1559 - if you watch his other videos you'll quickly discover that Chrome is the devil. Switch to Firefox. Here is his video on Firefox: ruclips.net/video/NH4DdXC0RFw/видео.html
uninstalled add block half way through the clip ! thanks
What about AdNauseam: this one is banned by Google from Playstore