Thread by @vivaldibrowser

Recently, @Google announced a change to Chromiums’s extensions system that would disable the API which makes it possible to block ads. Here’s what we think.

vi.tc/2ET5k3n

@Google The phasing out of the webRequest API would break the technology many ad blocking apps such as @AdblockPlus, @uBlockOrigin, and @Ghostery run on.

An alternative API is being developed but for now, it won’t fully replace the webRequest API.

Surprise, surprise – the response was loud and clear! Many of you. Users and extension developers alike have criticized Google for limiting the users’ ability to browse the web ad-free.

The backlash was so severe, Google came back last week saying that they’ll keep the code but it would be available for enterprise users only.

9to5google.com/2019/05/29/chr…

Ad blocking is a complex matter. The internet is built on free content, and you lose some of that if you take away the ads. That’s the reason we don’t provide a built-in ad blocker.

But Vivaldi is also all about giving you the choice.

cnet.com/news/vivaldi-m…

We want you to browse the web the way you want. We understand that many of you don’t like dealing with ads and we’ve happily delegated this functionality to some very capable extensions.

So, what's next? Put simply, how we tackle the API change depends on how Google implements the restriction.

The good news is that whatever restrictions Google adds, at the end of the day – we can remove them. Our mission will always be to ensure that you have the choice.