Stefan BohacekAug 25, 2025

Oh wow, Google is really sneaky with their AI Mode button on the new tab page in Chrome. Here's a very unintuitive way to disable it.

1. Open chrome://flags/ in your browser.
2. Look for "ntp-compose-entrypoint".
3. Switch to "disabled".
4. Restart your browser.

#chrome #GoogleChrome #AI #AIMode

Show threadOrrock LXXXVI XLVII
@stefan Maybe don’t use chrome?
Aug 25, 2025 at 4:12pmWeb
Show threadStefan BohacekAug 25, 2025
@orrickle Which browser do you use?
Show threadOrrock LXXXVI XLVIIAug 25, 2025
@stefan Duck Duck Go not perfect but it does close down trackers. not sure how many.
Show threadStefan BohacekAug 25, 2025

@orrickle

"Private search engine DuckDuckGo is leaning further into the generative AI opportunity."

https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/06/duckduckgo-leans-further-into-genai-as-its-ai-chat-interface-exits-beta/

Yeah, not for me, sorry.

DuckDuckGo leans further into GenAI as its AI chat interface exits beta | TechCrunch

Private search engine DuckDuckGo is leaning further into the generative AI opportunity. The non-tracking search engine has been dabbling with expanding

TechCrunch
Show threadOrrock LXXXVI XLVIIAug 25, 2025
@stefan Yeah I just don’t use the AI part. BUt its pretty hard to escape. It also generates private email so you can catch trackers.
Show threadStefan BohacekAug 25, 2025

@orrickle

" I just don’t use the AI part"

Right, and I just disabled AI Mode in Chrome. And uBlock Origin Lite still works pretty well for avoiding ads and trackers.

Show thread♾️ WaterAug 25, 2025
@stefan @orrickle The obvious answer here is #Firefox
It's a good browser and basically the only one that's not chromium under the hood.
Show threadStefan BohacekAug 25, 2025

@hisold @orrickle

"Mozilla AI, a new startup launched by the non-profit behind Firefox, aims to champion ‘trustworthy’ development of artificial intelligence (AI) amid the rapid acceleration of the generative AI space."

https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence-ai/370342/inside-mozillas-mission-to-champion-trustworthy-ai

"Firefox users looking for a quick way to tap into generative AI can now do so without even leaving the current page."

https://www.zdnet.com/article/firefox-now-lets-you-access-your-favorite-ai-chatbot-without-switching-tabs-heres-how/

"Mozilla under fire for Firefox AI "bloat" that blows up CPU and drains battery"

https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1mm8u6g/mozilla_under_fire_for_firefox_ai_bloat_that/

"Mozilla has responded to user backlash over the Firefox web browser’s new Terms of Use, which critics have called out for using overly broad language that appears to give the browser maker the rights to whatever data you input or upload."

https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/28/mozilla-responds-to-backlash-over-new-terms-saying-its-not-using-peoples-data-for-ai/

Yeah, not for me, sorry.

Inside Mozilla’s mission to champion 'trustworthy' AI development

Amid a rapid acceleration in generative AI, Mozilla has launched a new startup to champion trust, transparency, and responsibility

IT Pro
Show thread♾️ WaterAug 25, 2025
@stefan @orrickle Well there's also LibreWolf without all of this crap. Let Mozilla have fun in this money burning party. I don't care. It wasn't annoying so far.
Show threadStefan BohacekAug 25, 2025

@hisold Can't really see too many problems reported with LibreWolf.

Too bad about there not being a mobile app version, but it sounds like they're working on that.

Might be worth checking out, thanks!

@orrickle

Show threadKlara ❤️Aug 25, 2025

@stefan @hisold @orrickle

Fennec (from F-Droid) is also a rebuild of Firefox that I use on Android. I like it :)

Show threadKewlCatAug 25, 2025
@boo_ @stefan @hisold @orrickle Firefox Klar has none of Mozilla's shenanigans, and of course no tracking (not even telemetry). Kind of an "un-Mozilla'd" Firefox Focus. Thanks Germany for this. https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefox_Focus
Firefox Focus - Wikipedia

Show thread♾️ WaterAug 25, 2025
@KewlCat @boo_ @stefan @orrickle It has been my standard browser for years and it's awesome. I use it to avoid tracking when opening any random links.
Show threadKewlCatAug 25, 2025
@hisold @boo_ @stefan @orrickle Same. It's my default web browser.
Show thread@mweston has movedAug 25, 2025

@KewlCat @boo_ @stefan @hisold @orrickle But it's published *by* Mozilla, so it's weird to say it has none of their shenanigans. Is the de-shenaniganizing audited by any outside parties? It's also apparently named Firefox Focus in most of the world.

Anyone have an opinion of it vs. Waterfox on Android?

Show threadKewlCatAug 26, 2025

@mweston @boo_ @stefan @hisold @orrickle « Builds of "Focus for Android" have telemetry enabled by default ("opt-out") while builds of "Klar for Android" have telemetry disabled by default. »
https://web.archive.org/web/20171231163247/https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/focus-android/wiki/Telemetry

Also, it's not "weird" to say it's not the full Firefox for Android (with translation, AI, phoning home, whatever) because it really is not Firefox for Android.

mozilla-mobile/focus-android

focus-android - Firefox Focus: The privacy browser - Browse like no one’s watching.

GitHub
Show thread@mweston has movedAug 26, 2025

@KewlCat @boo_ @stefan @hisold @orrickle I wasn't trying to say that Firefox Klar is the full Firefox for Android. So far as I know, both Firefox for Android and Firefox Klar are published by Mozilla, so saying that it "has none of Mozilla's shenanigans" is what seemed weird to me.

But Firefox Klar does not appear in my Google Play, so I may be wrong about the publisher. Firefox Focus *is* there, and is published by Mozilla.

Still open: My question about anyone having opinions on Firefox Focus vs. Waterfox. The later is based on Firefox, is not published by Mozilla, and is in my Google Play. So it's currently my leading contender for my next browser on Android devices.

Show thread@mweston has movedAug 25, 2025
@stefan @hisold @orrickle As an Android user, I haven't had a chance to use LibreWolf, but could consider it on Windows. For search I started paying for Kagi after hearing that DuckDuckGo is not as private as I thought, and I'm really liking Kagi so far. It has AI, but only if you explicitly ask for it, and so far I haven't.
Show threadGustavoAug 25, 2025
@stefan @hisold @orrickle to be fair, the web grew so complex it's hard and expensive to maintain a browser and, thus, everyone is trying to use AI to get some cash. If you try switching to a fork of a big browser then you get something less maintained and either less secure, or less compatible with websites or both, as it has fewer resources for development. At this point we have three companies leading browser development — Google, Apple and Mozilla — and all of those put their feet on AI, so people have to choose "do I care to use a product from a company that wants to feed by data into AI and try to workaround it or use a fork (or an old dated browser) which may have security and/or compatibility issues?". For those who chose the first answer, I'm sure Chrome is the worst option.
Show threadGustavoAug 25, 2025
@stefan @hisold @orrickle I should explain why Chrome is likely the worst option from those looking to use official builds and workaround AI: because it's terrible to customise and Google often disables about:flags options after some time. To be fair, I guess Safari might be bad at it, but I don't own an Apple device as I would hate living in a walled garden, I even develop my own Android app forks. For Firefox, there is about:config which includes lots of configs like about:flags, but those tend to be supported longer. Also, why are people still using Chrome after the Manifest V3 thing? Wasn't it a deal breaker for a lot of people? Even my wife who isn't tech savvy accepted using Firefox over having to see ads everywhere.
Show thread♾️ WaterAug 26, 2025
@qgustavor @stefan @orrickle What is the business model for a web browser? Getting payed by Google to set Google search as the default. That's it. That's how Mozilla Corp gets 80 to 90% of their revenue.
I'm not even talking about Safari because it is irrelevant. It barely supports anything and is a nightmare for all web developers.
Show threadGustavoAug 26, 2025

@hisold @stefan @orrickle the Safari part aside (I am fine with Safari, as long you don't use a Chrome specific API that Google tried to sell as an "open" standard but that was drafted entirely by Google engineers, it works great... often) I think the business idea discussion is quite interesting and valid:

Could a browser following @kagihq business model work? Would people pay to use a browser as long as it's safe, supports the latest standards and respects user privacy?

To be fair, I would not pay, but I'm the guy who prefers self-hosting things rather than paying subscriptions, so I would prefer something FOSS, but I see the potential of this idea.

Show thread♾️ WaterAug 26, 2025
@qgustavor @stefan @orrickle @kagihq Honestly, paying for software is something I'm just not used to. Especially for a browser. Wasn't that the reason for netscape to die?
Show threadGustavoAug 26, 2025

@hisold @stefan @orrickle @kagihq Just check Kagi fans: they truly think that something paid will be better than something free as, if something is free, you are the product.

(aka Linux doesn't exist, nor business models where a product can be free and be funded by alternate means like paid support, VPN services, optional AI, other services from the same company that have better integration)

Show thread@mweston has movedAug 25, 2025
@hisold @stefan @orrickle To the LibreWolf fans, I played around with it and was ready to make it my default browser on Windows... Only to find out that doesn't seem to be possible. How do you deal with that, or do you actually uninstall all the other browsers? Which I'm not going to do. Thanks!
Show thread@mweston has movedAug 26, 2025

@hisold @stefan @orrickle Never mind. I did find a way to make LibreWolf my default browser, but now I'm finding issues.

First I found that I had to turn off "Delete cookies and site data when LibreWolf is closed" because I wasn't willing to log into everything again every time I close the browser (which I do at least once a day, and obviously have many times today). Solved.

But time zones in Todoist weren't working, so it thinks today is Tuesday (it's ~5pm on Monday). I turned off ResistFingerprinting, which apparently is the cause of this issue, and now it works again, but have I now neutered LibreWolf to the point that I should just go back to Firefox?

Show thread♾️ WaterAug 26, 2025
@mweston @stefan @orrickle That's a story I heard many times and because of that, I stick with regular Firefox. I haven't tried LibreWolf.
Show threadRiver, the Andean PuppyAug 26, 2025

@hisold @stefan @orrickle Then use Ungoogled Chromium, genius! How many times has it been that Firefox has been insufficient in webpage compatibility.

If Mozilla's gonna be a handful of greedy, lazy bastards, I might as well use Dillo when I need to view websites in low-end computers -- it delivers what it promises and nothing more.

Show thread♾️ WaterAug 26, 2025
@PuppyFromLosAndes @stefan @orrickle Did you know that in most cases websites just block Firefox because.. well because. If you spoof the User Agent to chrome, everything works just fine. Even that is quite rare.
The only things I miss in #Firefox are web Bluetooth, web serial and web USB. Everything else works. I love to hate on #Mozilla and #Firefox but it's not as bad as you think.