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Google To Block Local Chrome Extensions On Windows Starting In January
An anonymous reader writes "Google today announced it will block local Chrome extensions starting in January, but only on the Windows platform. This means that next year, Windows users will only be able to install extensions for the company's browser from the Chrome Web Store. The changes will affect both Chrome's stable and beta channels on Windows. Google says it will continue to support local extension installs on its Dev and Canary channels, as well as installs via Enterprise policy. Chrome apps are not affected at all and will continue to be supported normally."
I know that LastPass has a web app, but the local app has for more options. Hope they get this updated before January!
For example, YouTube downloaders-
I stopped using Chrome because it's extensions were not up to par with Firefox addons.
And now I feel less inclined to use Chrome at all.
I use an extension to download videos from YouTube. Those tend to be blocked from the Web Store, so you have to install them manually from other websites (this is the bit that is getting blocked). I hope there is at least a command line switch left in to disable this behavior! It's very "walled garden" and I don't like it.
BTW, the summary says "local extensions" but that is incorrect. It just blocks non-Chrome Web Store web extensions. Extensions you are actively developing and load via "Load unpacked extension" will still work.
Actually, that might have to be the fix for my YouTube extension I use. Oh well.
Adblock, maybe?
Did Google recently buy a brick factory because they seem to be trying to slowly build a wall around their not-quite-as-open-as-it-once-was garden. Between this and some of the stuff they are pulling with Android (Play Store, API lock-ins) and Chromecast they seem to be all about turning down the openness lately. Come to think of it, that seems to be a trend (Skype, Twitter APIs off the top of my head, then of course that fruit company) lately.
I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
I suspect that this is less about blocking YouTube downloaders, and more about blocking those extensions that appear after not un-checking the box on programs downloaded and installed from the internet. I.e. it's more for the protection of grandma who wants to download a pretty solitaire app than it is for stopping little Johnny downloading his music videos of Miley. If you're smart enough to follow a few simple instructions and install a local extension, you're smart enough to follow a few simple instructions and install the Dev channel of Chrome first.
mediahint, Hola, anything that lets you free VPN into services that you aren't really supposed to be able to access.
See Also: Google Chrome 25 will disable silent extension installation, kill all such extensions retroactively
Friday, 21 Dec 2012
Translation: Google still can't figure out how to secure Chrome from stealth installs of malware.
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
Adblock is on the Chrome Web Store.
If that were the motivation, would they not also do this on the Mac?
This is about _fucking_ annoying windows malware repeatedly reinstalling chrome extensions.
The fact that they are not breaking the capability on 'enterprise' policy installs suggests the same.
Incidentally, even if you aren't on a domain, this should mean that it isn't exactly rocket surgery to install the 'blocked' Chrome extensions. Winkey+r, gpedit.msc, import the chromium policy templates, modify 'ExtensionInstallForcelist' to taste. Game over.
Came here to say this, it's all about the malware. Tons of malware apps use Chrome plugins.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
It was nice, Chrome. Your scripting engine was fast. You hardly ever crashed. Your UI was pretty decent. I could even overlook some of your shortcomings. You were my first tabbed browser. I was actually willing to retrain my brain to quit using my OS's more universal process switching in defference to your tabbiness. We had some tough times closing the whole browser by accident when we really only wanted to close the page; but we worked through it. Your scripting engine was fast. You were young and sexy. It had to end though. I knew you wanted to pull me into your walled garden and make me mow every Saturday. I just wasn't ready for that kind of commitment. I know it's painful but I think we both realize it's time to move on. There's this other browser and, well... it's a fox.
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
In the store. Google made some changes to Webkit a while back to improve Adblock, before Adblock used to still have to download the ads, then block them. Some changes Google made allowed the ads to be blocked before the ads were fetched.
shushsh, the hosts file guy may hear you.
Moderating "-1, Disagree" is simple censorship. Have the guts to post your opinion. -- Spazmania (174582)
Or edit your HOSTS file...
Support the EFF and Creative Commons. The war is coming, and they're supporting you...
AdBlock Plus for Chrome, from the official Google site: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/adblock-plus/cfhdojbkjhnklbpkdaibdccddilifddb?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon
There are many other ad blockers available on there too. If you are going to lie you should at least think of something that isn't so trivially easy to disprove.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
The walls seem to be taller than apples.
Oh come on. They disabled a developer feature in the mainstream build but left it in the dev version. "Controversial" extensions like AdBlock are available on their official website. How is that worse than Apple?
If press the spacebar, it erases the hard drive and re-installs chrome from scratch.
Liar. There are further confirmation prompts, it doesn't just format your HDD the instant you press it. In fact you can completely remove the ChromeOS restore image if you want to, making restore only possible by downloading an image. All Google did was enable a security feature by default, a feature that most people will want and which is easily bypassed.
FWIW Linus himself runs Linux on a Chromebook and uses it as his main development machine. Can't beat that high resolution 3:4 screen.
They also make it easy to install an alternate OS on their phones and tablets, including Linux. Apple do everything in their power to prevent that.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC