Manifest v3 update: Vivaldi is future-proofed with its built-in functionality

[thewiley]

Yea, for me this boils down to "either let me run uBO or make a vigorous data-backed argument that your ad-block is as good as uBO or I'm going to switch to a browser that lets me use uBO." I've tried the Vivaldi ad blocker and it either let YouTube ads through or broke YouTube completely, depending on the day.
I run 3 extensions in my browser and they're all from very trustworthy sources. I do not have the performance problems you're specifying and I'm not convinced any extension model will make running untrustworthy extensions secure enough to matter. So what you've written is essentially that my browser is about to get worse for no benefit and I should accept it.

[mib2berlin]

Hi, Youtube is testing server based ad streaming at moment, the ad's are in the video stream and only user with a Premium or Premium Lite account get the stream without ad's.
Blocker like uBlock cant help then anymore, no matter which browser you use.
To be honest, I don't understand user pay 60$ for Netflix, Disney and Max but are not willing to pay 7$ for a Premium Lite account on Youtube.

Cheers, mib

[voyager1sun]

The built-in blocker works great for me, so as long as it stays fully supported I'm happy.
It wouldn't be realistic to expect Vivaldi to fork Chromium and basically create their own engine (there are a bunch of small issues I'd much rather see fixed than trying to beat chromium).

[thewiley]

@mib2berlin: There are already plugins like SponsorBlock that solve similar problems. It also remains to be seen if the server-based streaming will be broadly deployed because the revenue gained from ads would have to exceed the cost of live video re-encoding.

I haven't been able to determine whether Manifest v3 breaks SponsorBlock.

I do not have subscriptions to those services.

[Catweazle]

@thewiley, you can use uBO without problm in Vivaldi, same as in Firefox, using it instead the Vivaldi adblocker. But this isn't the problem, it is that in the near future there is only an "descaffeinated" uBO lite in the stores, also for Firefox. This is a Google and new web standart problem, not one of the browsers. Vivaldi, like Firefox only can sopport as long as possible Mv2 or search methodes to surround the lack of good adblockers in the store, improving the inbuild one or permit to use scripts. As said before, the privacy and security extensions in the store are not longer trustworth in the near future, nor uBO.

[ybjrepnfr]

@tantonodavid ta, but no, ofc i can't & won't. i use uBO in Advanced Mode - Hard Mode, with thousands of dynamic filters i've built up over many years, + also heavy use of cosmetic filtering... +, ofc, even already the mv2 uBO in chromium browsers is partially crippled given cname uncloaking is broken/blocked by google design. mv3 uBO Lite is imo suitable merely for people who never ever bothered tinkering with mv2 uBO cornucopia of settings. now another major impact of the faustian bargain of building vivaldi on chromium is plain to see, & brings to an end my use of it. all the brilliant UI customisability in the world [except apparently that tst is regarded as a bridge too far around here ] is no compensation for the superior cookie & script management available elsewhere. such a shame.

[fofo]

For me vivaldi's ad/tracker-blocker seems too blunt. When clicking the shield for a website it enables/disables all lists for that site, no granularity. On top of that, compare to ublock origin (dynamic filtering, element picker, and more), vivaldi isn't good enough (yet?)

Vivaldi says "and we plan to include more features to our tracker and ad blocker."
Do we know what features they mean?

[thewiley]

@catweazle:

This is a Google and new web standart problem, not one of the browsers. Vivaldi, like Firefox only can sopport as long as possible Mv2 or search methodes to surround the lack of good adblockers in the store, improving the inbuild one or permit to use scripts.

This is incorrect. The problem here is Google's decision to deprecate and remove Manifest v2 from Chromium and that Vivaldi is affected because they're Chromium based and, according to this blog post, seem to agree with Google.
Interestingly, the EFF disagrees with Google's arguments: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/12/googles-manifest-v3-still-hurts-privacy-security-innovation
Firefox does not agree with them either and plans to continue supporting Manifest v2: https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2024/03/13/manifest-v3-manifest-v2-march-2024-update/
If you think uBO is untrustworthy, that's your problem not mine. The source code is there for you to look at.

[ybjrepnfr]

just as a fyi here for those users above who, like me, also now despair at this terminal decline in vivaldi's viability, but unlike me moan about firefox as an alternative, let me say one name to you, & suggest you investigate it seriously... floorp.

[Preorian]

@mib2berlin said in Manifest v3 update: Vivaldi is future-proofed with its built-in functionality:

I don't understand user pay 60$ for Netflix, Disney and Max but are not willing to pay 7$ for a Premium Lite account on Youtube.

Who pays all that?! Not me, and if I would even consider using those, I'd pay ONE service, not all, at a time, changing perphaps (bi?)monthly. If you're rich, by all means pay hundreds of different monthly subscriptions, that's just not a reality for many people. It's 7$ there, 10$ for another, 15$ to another, 30$ for phone, and so on, it adds up even if it's "only few bucks for this service alone".

[mib2berlin]

@Preorian
Hi, I understand, this was only an example, I cant spend this either and not willing to do so.
I meant some people think they have a right to get content like free beer or use Wikipedia because it is there.
I use an ad blocker because I cant stand blinking ad's or even background videos reading text, I have nothing against banner ad or some images.
If I have to choose to change the browser or spend the equivalent of 3 beers per Month, I don't have to think long.

Cheers, mib

[Preorian]

@mib2berlin said in Manifest v3 update: Vivaldi is future-proofed with its built-in functionality:

If I have to choose to change the browser or spend the equivalent of 3 beers per Month, I don't have to think long.

So you think that you'll be ok with Viv ad blocking feature otherwise? Ok, fair enough. For me, uBO offers more functionality, something that I can't even pay to have/fix. That's why it seems that I have to ditch Vivaldi (if the team can't get more power to their blocking feature).

To tell you the truth, I'm really REALLY bummed about this, I'm not enthusiastically looking forward to use Firefox. There was a reason, MANY reasons, why I ditched Firefox and chose Viv (after "good old Opera" was sold & butchered I had to choose Firefox for a while).

[mib2berlin]

@Preorian #
Did you test uBlock Lite? I was always use uBlock with default settings more or less so I am fine with the Vivaldi ad blocker.
I get 96% blocking on https://d3ward.github.io/toolz/adblock.html with this list:
http://big.oisd.nl/

[Preorian]

I haven't tested it, but I have read about it and the whole situation and unfortunately it's not a suitable solution for me. Thanks for trying to help though. I have few options, which I posted earlier, and that's it.. for now. I hope for a speedy miracle.

[ybjrepnfr]

@Preorian floorp + uBO + sidebery =

[Preorian]

@ybjrepnfr said in Manifest v3 update: Vivaldi is future-proofed with its built-in functionality:

@Preorian floorp + uBO + sidebery =

I don't know about the floorp. Some guy wrote in an article:

Uncertain future: Floorp was built by a tiny team in Japan with one primary developer, and asks only for voluntary donations in return. The team has committed to monthly updates that integrate Firefox’s latest security patches, but if that commitment ever wavers, I’m gone.

The security stuff doesn't convince me. Only monthly updates of security patches?! And the "small" team also doesn't put any confidence in me.

Thanks for trying to help. Always appreciated.

I'm not ready to make any moves yet. I'll have to sit this out for a while and see what happens.

[debunix]

@catweazle: Thanks, that works fine.
Imported most of the filter lists from https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uAssets/tree/master/filters and even YouTube works

[rseiler]

@zvaranka said in Manifest v3 update: Vivaldi is future-proofed with its built-in functionality:

I use the Adguard program and app on both desktop and Android. So I'm not using a browser plugin.

Aside from it not being free, how do you like it? Any deficiencies compared to something like uBO on desktop? I've thought about a proxy solution like that from time to time.

[stardepp]

How do I recognize whether an installed extension uses Manifest V2 or V3?

[mib2berlin]

@stardepp
Hi, I test uBlock Origin Lite at moment and as V3 extensions have to use service workers instead of browser background processes it shows it in details.
ScriptRunner V3 shows the same.

Cheers, mib