Mastodawn

CatZoomies Jul 23, 2023

It’s a long video with many points and better if you watch it. However, here’s a quick break down of some of the key points, made to be as simple as possible - there’s a lot more technical stuff, but I’ll try to keep it concise and less technical:

Google owns Chrome (not Chromium), and they dominate the market ever since they won the internet browser wars.

As an amoral corporation (not evil, simply lacking morals), their business runs on advertisements.

They’re revealing a new feature called Manifest v3 which is a locked down version of the browser that’s built around what they feel is security and trust.

Under their proposal for Manivest v3, your browser will have to be “verified” in an attempt to keep you “safe”. Are you a human or a bot? They’re making a more trusted internet with trusted software.

Companies like Netflix, news web sites, etc. will eat this up and implement the proper protocols to use Manifest v3. To visit your bank’s web site which has this protocol, you’ll need to use Chrome’s browser.

Using Chrome’s browser, you’ll need to authenticate yourself and become a “trusted” user. With this enabled, you can then visit your bank’s web site.

If you use an alternative browser that isn’t approved, you won’t be able to use that web site.

Eventually other corporations will implement these protocols, too, and you’ll be locked out from participating in the internet.

Why is this bad:

It’s censorship. It’s like your mom and dad grabbing your phone, computer, enabling severe parental controls, giving it back to you, and they get to see and approve what you’re allowed to do and say at any time. Apply that same protocol to your money, too. Want to send money through the internet using PayPal? Even more censorship.

It buries competition and makes Google even more of a monopoly. We already know Google Search is bad (advertisements, phishing web sites, auto-generated content web sites are always the first results in Google.

Digital Rights Management. Just a bit north of 20 years ago, when you purchased a digital product, you could own it. Streaming didn’t exist. In an age where “buying” no longer means “owning”, this new protocol will further enforce DRM. Pay for Netflix and want to watch it? You’ll have to be a Trusted User that uses Chrome. Bought a new video game you’re excited to play on Steam? You’ll need to be a Trusted User. Don’t want to stream music through Spotify and instead use something like Bandcamp? To make a purchase at Bandcamp, you’ll need to be a Trusted User. Don’t want to buy something through Bandcamp and instead just download what you already paid for? You guessed right - you’ll need to be a trusted user to even login and reach your downloads. Don’t forget your downloads are hosted on servers that are run by Google and Amazon - you’ll have to be a trusted user in order to download from that server.

Can I use Firefox and stop using any Chromium browser

Most browsers are Chromium: Chrome, Brave, Ungoogled Chromium to name a few. They will all eventually implement Manifest v3, and if they don’t, they will disappear.
Firefox is not Chromium, but think about how many users use Firefox now. Google Chrome has the overwhelming market share and has captured users into their platform.
Because the majority of users use Chrome, corporations have to evolve to adopt Manifest v3: banking web sites, governments, job applications, benefits, healthcare, personal emergency, etc. All of these will be forced to adopt it because that’s where the users are.
If you use Firefox now and continue to use it, you’ll be safe for several years. For now.

What can we do?

Right now, you can opt out of using Chrome by using Firefox and other decentralized tools.
In the not too distant future, there’s not much that you can do. Educating users to switch from Chrome, use Linux, use stock Android (e.g., Graphene OS), will not help.
Eventually, you will get locked out.
Write your politicians and hope that some governments will help restrict this rollout. Keep in mind though that some version of this will get passed and approved.

What will happen 20 years from now?

Humans have tenacity. You can only frustrate humans so much before they break. Take away too many of their freedoms, impose many restrictions, and eventually they will break.
The trick for all of time, seen throughout history by all our overlords, kings, emperors, etc. is to find a careful balance. Take away “just enough” freedoms. Give them “just enough”. Work them until they’re tired, but don’t let them break. And of course, give them a few handouts here and there, but not enough to make their lives easy.
Manifest v3 (or its derivative) will be implemented. There’s no doubt about that at all.
The 99% of the population will continue to use these services because they want to be able to participate: They have to pay bills, access money, access healthcare, use government systems, do education, have entertainment, etc.
The 99% will continue to use this because they won’t care. So long as they can be happy enough, they will persist.
Eventually, an infinitesimally small minority will be affected by something. Something will break and cause them to snap, and they will do the only thing that an individual human can do: opt out.
That small minority will leave, opt out, and refuse to participate in the system. Those clusters will grow at an extremely small amount because they’re able to recognize the whole picture and see that personal freedoms are so restricted. Enter decentralization - the removal of power from centralized powers.
Those who recognize decentralization will build new platforms, and others will eventually follow. This is why the Fediverse and Bitcoin exist. They recognize the problem of centralization and are full of users who decided to opt out.
In 30 years when more of the population realizes their freedoms are under attack, they’ll consult the ones who left 10 years previously.
In 40 years, you might have choice. The trick is to train yourself to see the big picture. You’ll never defeat your overlords - they’re behind tall walls and they control the money. However, you can opt out. You can refuse to participate.

Google's trying to DRM the internet, and we have to make sure they fail - programming.dev