TV Tropes Blocking Privacy-Focused Extensions and Ad Blockers – Privacy Concerns

Hello Privacy Guides community,

I’ve noticed that TV Tropes appears to actively block certain privacy-focused browser extensions, addons, and plugins, including popular ad blockers.

Extensions affected may include:

  • uBlock Origin

  • Privacy Badger

  • Ghostery

  • Other privacy-respecting tools

Impact for users:

  • Exposure to ads and trackers despite using privacy tools

  • Reduced browsing privacy and security

  • Limited ability to use extensions that enhance online safety

Discussion points:

  • Are there ways to mitigate or bypass these blocks while maintaining privacy?

  • Should sites that block privacy tools be reported or flagged as a privacy concern?

Raising awareness about websites that block privacy-respecting extensions is important. Feedback and suggestions from the community would be appreciated.

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I think it’s revealing that they’re able to detect them in the first place, since they’re modifying the DOM it’s possible they could be able to track you through these extensions. Most people are using different blocklists as well.

It might be better to just go without an adblocker and use the built-in anti fingerprinting features of your browser, I mean Tor browser doesn’t use an adblocker for a reason.

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How so?

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TV Tropes is blocking the browser extension, addon and plugin of the privacy focused, privacy respecting and privacy friendly including browser extension, addon and plugin of the ad blocker

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You have not explained how they are blocking browser extensions. I do not see any changes from the website using uBlock Origin.

Because TV Tropes is making the anti privacy measures to block the browser extension, addon and plugin of the privacy focused, privacy respecting and privacy friendly including browser extension, addon and plugin of the ad blocker

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What anti-privacy measures exactly?

Anti privacy measures means a measures and mechanisms to block the browser extension, addon and plugin of the privacy focused, privacy respecting and privacy friendly including browser extension, addon and plugin of the ad blocker because TV Tropes is making the anti privacy measures including anti ad block measures to block the browser extension, addon and plugin of the privacy focused, privacy respecting and privacy friendly including browser extension, addon and plugin of the ad blocker

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It is planned to include uBlock Origin

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Do you have a link for that? Sounds interesting, I assume they will have the same blocklist for everyone otherwise it would pose a fingerprinting risk with everyone blocking slightly different things.

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Yes, TV Tropes is implementing anti-privacy measures, including anti-ad block measures, to prevent the use of privacy-focused browser extensions, add-ons, and plugins, such as ad blockers. This is because TV Tropes is becoming increasingly adept at bypassing ad blockers without users having to pay for the ad-free subscription, which is prohibitively costly for me. The anti-privacy measures, including anti-ad block measures, are making it more challenging for me to block ads without having to shell out for the expensive ad-free subscription, which is a significant financial strain for someone like me who is price sensitive.

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Currently planned for release 16

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That’s cool, not the MV3 UBO Lite? I would think they won’t be super aggressive with it since they need a blocklist that basically everyone can have without too much breakage, so the MV3 version with less attack surface would make sense.

Also I would think MV3 is more future-proof in case Mozilla ever drops support for MV2.

Edit: looks like someone had the same idea:

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In order to mitigate fingerprinting risks, we want to update and lock filters at browser build / release time, rather than letting uBlock auto-update them live

Considering that updating the lists outside of browser releases is not planned, using MV3 seems like the correct choice.

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