The Chrome team says they’re not going to pursue Web Integrity but…

it is piloting a new Android WebView Media Integrity API that’s “narrowly scoped, and only targets WebViews embedded in apps.”

They say its because the team “heard your feedback.” I’m sure that’s true, and I can wildly speculate that all the current anti-trust attention was a factor too.

  • AlmightySnoo 🐢🇮🇱🇺🇦
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    1 year ago

    Unpopular opinion here: I kind of hoped they’d go through with it, as that would completely kill Chrome and Chromium and would lead to a repeat of IE vs Firefox, except Chrome would be the new IE. The fact that they backtracked means that they too saw that people would be massively flocking to Firefox.

    • @moody@lemmings.world
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      331 year ago

      that would completely kill Chrome and Chromium

      It definitely wouldn’t. The majority of people would never know the difference. Most people use Chrome and don’t use ad blockers.

    • BrikoX
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      111 year ago

      It wouldn’t. If Google only owned Chrome, then maybe. But combined with services like AdSense, Google can easily leverage people and site operators to keep using Chrome.

      Firefox is losing users year over year. I think it’s beyond saving.

    • @Feathercrown@lemmy.world
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      351 year ago

      Most Chrome users don’t even know what a web browser is. They would have remained on Chrome and the web would have suffered for it.

    • @mathematicalMagpie@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      I think it’s less, “We’re worried people will flock to Firefox,” and more, “We could get in a lot of legal trouble for trying to force everyone onto Chrome”.

  • TwoGems
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    701 year ago

    This should never be left up to Chrome. We need antitrust laws.

  • @disconnectikacio@lemmy.world
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    731 year ago

    Disgusting piece of craps! All should continue to open eyes, against google. They wont stop!

    Spread the word to install firefox based browser, use different frontends to block youtube ads in browser, Invidious and use piped youtube apps on android to block youtbe ads: Newpipe

  • Space Sloth
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    511 year ago

    The “don’t be evil” motto was replaced with “don’t be evil, but greedy and posessive is okay”

  • @Isakk86@lemmy.world
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    431 year ago

    “We’ve decided not to pursue Web Integrity API.”

    “Oh great! But what’s that giant thing under the tarp behind you”

    “Oh don’t worry…”

    • @0x2d@lemmy.ml
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      31 year ago

      we already have play integrity and now we have this webview attestation now?

  • @poopkins@lemmy.world
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    121 year ago

    The Media Integrity API is something that streaming video services want and applies only to Android apps that are built on web technologies. This has nothing to do with conventional web experiences or even the Chrome browser on Android: it’s effectively a solution for when media is served on webpages that are embedded inside an Android app.

    Typically an Android app will use native libraries like ExoPlayer to request and serve DRM content, for instance a video from a paid streaming service to ensure that the viewer is permitted to watch it. Chrome is built on top of open video codecs and doesn’t inherently support DRM in this manner (as far as I’m aware), so if an app developer wants to use web technologies by leveraging a WebView, they are restricted to which codecs and DRM is available.

    It’s my understanding that this new library offers a solution to such developers. As a reminder, this doesn’t apply to the web at large.

    From my perspective, this is no different than DRM offerings that are supported natively in all operating systems, including Android, iOS, Mac and Windows.

    • Possibly linux
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      171 year ago

      That’s why DRM is bad period. It takes away your power and gives it to a single authority

      • @poopkins@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        The difficulty as I’ve understood it, is that this isn’t sustainable for streaming services: if a bad actor knows how to serve the media request, there are no guarantees if they are actually licenced to watch it. I’m not especially knowledgeable in this field though, so perhaps there are other solutions that would mitigate concerns around the use of DRM.

        • Possibly linux
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          21 year ago

          I personally think that the end does justify the means. Sure Disney, Netflix and others might be concerned about piracy but at the end of the day they don’t have much to say in terms of morals.

    • Cosmic Cleric
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      41 year ago

      As a reminder, this doesn’t apply to the web at large.

      Every movement has a start.

    • @bobo@lemmy.world
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      131 year ago

      Yeah, but they were testing the waters with this one. The hydra’s going to grow another head eventually. It’ll be interesting to see how/if the media integrity API gets leveraged in the Android Chrome browser. They’re eventually going to attack this problem from a slightly different angle.

    • Corgana
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      1 year ago

      Good summary. I used to think that apps were soooo much better than web apps, but I’ve come to realize that frequently the web UI is made intentionally janky to nudge users onto the apps where ads can’t be blocked.

      • cannache
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        11 year ago

        This is essentially an attempt to further embed Google’s existing dominance. What we need is a serious competitor in the Android space, that can involve a webstore, an api, etc that can provide an alternative force catering to both OEM and consumers alike that stands to challenge Google’s dominance to the OHA alliance.

        • baltakatei
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          11 year ago

          Google will just buy such a competitor like Facebook did with Instagram.

      • @BigT54@lemmy.world
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        51 year ago

        Ads can actually be blocked in apps if you use a VPN that has the ability. Though not all apps will function with a VPN enabled

        • Cosmic Cleric
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          21 year ago

          Ads can actually be blocked in apps if you use a VPN that has the ability.

          While technically correct, not really feasible on mobile devices, especially when they have not been rooted and they are controlled by the telco you get your service from.

          • @BigT54@lemmy.world
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            11 year ago

            Wdym not feasible? I’m currently doing it on a non rooted android device using Mullvad VPN. Not sure what the telco has to do with ads but you can remove all of that bloatware using adb anyways.

            • Cosmic Cleric
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              1 year ago

              Wdym not feasible?

              Speaking generally, but if you lack the knowledge how to root a phone, if you’re just using the phone as it’s given to you by the phone company, they tend to control the things on there to a certain extent, and settings have a way of being switched back to the default values, etc.

              Not that it’s literally impossible to do.

              P.S. and to be honest I’m also over using the work rooted, I really mean to say one where the user has changed portions of the phone away from the default software that the phone company has on it.

        • Corgana
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          21 year ago

          Or a PiHole! Still not as good as uBlock in a browser but an improvement.

  • Chemical Wonka
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    141 year ago

    Web Integrity API proposal is what happens when Big Tech takes over the internet.

      • @SirQuackTheDuck@lemmy.world
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        71 year ago

        I mean, Widevine is present in all browsers and actively used by Netflix for example. YouTube also uses this when you’re watching movies on YouTube Movies.

        Not running DRM on the majority of YouTube content is also likely due to the added cost of running such encryption (the encryption is usually on a per-customer level, not one key fits all) and the added bandwidth and computer cycles required. Not to mention that this might be a legal struggle with the content creators.

    • @TwilightVulpine@lemmy.world
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      351 year ago

      The most likely option is that they will rebrand and we will have to push back against a “completely new, completely different functionality” in a few months.