The thing is called Web Environment Integrity API, which is some sort of DRM for browser.
Google is trying to get back at giving us all the ads we deserve or missed over the last decade.

Here is a detailed article about this:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/07/googles-web-integrity-api-sounds-like-drm-for-the-web/

This really looks bad and so far the only browser not relying on Chromium is Mozilla Firefox.
But so far i read, the big problem is that web pages should verify if the browser is altered via scripts or extensions - this sounds like a good way to really make the web saver for us, but it also seems to hold the potential for making it impossible to operate extensions, which block ads or other web page scripts, we dont want.

About Firefox, this could mean, people, who dont use Chromium based browser, wont be able to visit certain pages like youtube or whatever page decides to verify the browser, as the page simply wont load.
This also massively will destroy the idea of an open web.

Not sure this will look like in the future. I simply hope that somebody will come up with something, because i am simply not up for enjoying massive Advertisments before i installed an adblocker.
If nothing helps, i will simply reduce usage, if there comes no solution around for this.
(Or alternative ways, like downloading youtube videos, instead of watching them on youtube itself.)

Any ideas or thoughts about this?

Here is the official Google repo about Web Enviroment Integrity API: https://github.com/RupertBenWiser/Web-Environment-Integrity/blob/main/explainer.md

 

Safari is based on chromium so far i know. Same for Edge, Opera, etc

 

a huge problem is this attester things, which basically works as a next-gen DRM i have read.

Ofc they write no-goals, but look, youtube, google search all lose out on its users installing and using extensions, which block ads.
(i use now an adblocker on youtube for a decade, i get really annoyed, when i watch something on my phone, which doesnt support an adblocker (youtube-app)).
And youtube is trying around with detecting adblockers and extensions for a while - so the best solution to this would be actual make it impossible to use an adblocker and here comes the attester idea in.
Youtube will ask the browser, hey do you have an adblocker installed? YES - well then only 3 videos for you. OR deactivate/uninstall the plugin.
See where this is going? Its a control from the page on choices the user has to make to use it.
Now imagine somebody comes around with Firefox which wont support this attester idea, basically youtube asks, can i verify? Firefox doesnt answer - means you cant use use youtube with firefox.

If you look more around the github and click on issues and one of the last issues there, you will see the google employees have limited commenting on the issues. Which is a true statement for that they are aware of what they are doing and dont want to discuss it with the people there.

My guess is that Google wants to sell us this shit as user improvement, while it actual deactivates extensions and adds surveillance and monopoly structure on top of it, to re-enforce more ads on the users of the internet.

 

The problem will be the attester idea (a monitoring module, which will answer if the webpage asks stuff - so far only which browser, which OS)
Sure you could false send that you are using Chrome, but then the page would still ask for the verification, which you cant fake.

Torbrowser wont have this monitor, so i assume you still cant access the page, which want that verification.

Again i really hope, once this rolls out for real, that the internet will find a solution to bypass it - or the simplest solution would be to just stopping the usage of the webpages, which are going to enforce it.
Basically punishing the users of this API. But i guess the normal user andy, will comply with it and just "enjoy" ads again.

 

So you cant use in the future any page, which will use that mechanism.

thats what people pointed out on github, there was no answer, the issue was just locked.

Maybe im overreacting here, but i fear google really wants this very badly and we should be prepared.

 

Remember everybody is using Chromium as base today for their browser. (there is only Firefox left, which a few projects are based on).

I mean MS is playing stupid too with Edge, Opera forcing AI shit (you cant disable it anymore like you could in the past.)

So we are left with two browser Engines. All the other ones are discontinued.
And if you look at how many people are still using FF:

https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share

now thats 90% market share for chrome-based browser usage (im writting from a chromium force too right now, but i still have FF installed and could use it)

so my point is there is no real competitor left, so Google just could do it and people would have to take it.