Google Chrome: Difference between revisions

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Users who wish to continue to use the web without their every step being traced by Google and other advertising syndicates have no other option but to switch to a different browser such as [[Mozilla]] Firefox or Vivaldi, which have all pledged to retain full Manifest V2 compatibility in their browsers.

=== Bloat monopoly ===

===Bloat monopoly===

Due to the dominant market share, other web browsers like Firefox are forced to comply with these standards set out by Google in order to be able to access some websites.

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<ref>[https://www.tastyfish.cz/lrs/bloat_monopoly.html LRS Wiki: bloat_monopoly] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250901143501/https://www.tastyfish.cz/lrs/bloat_monopoly.html Archived])</ref><ref>[https://www.nuegia.net/articles/open%20letter%20to%20webmasters.xhtml Open Letter To Webmasters] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250907030831/https://www.nuegia.net/articles/open%20letter%20to%20webmasters.xhtml Archived])</ref><ref>[https://drewdevault.com/2020/03/18/Reckless-limitless-scope.html The reckless, infinite scope of web browsers] - Drew DeVault ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260113055131/https://drewdevault.com/2020/03/18/Reckless-limitless-scope.html Archived])</ref><ref>[https://shadow.lifestyle/browsers.xhtml Browsers - Shadow Wiki] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251119174459/https://shadow.lifestyle/browsers.xhtml Archived])</ref>

=== visibilitychange event ===

===visibilitychange event===

Chrome was the first web browser to implement the "visibilitychange" JavaScript event. This can be used by websites to detect switching to a different tab and, for example, block background playback like the mobile website of YouTube does.<ref>[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document/visibilitychange_event Document: visibilitychange event - Web APIs | MDN] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260112100508/https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document/visibilitychange_event Archived])</ref> On Firefox, extensions can block this detection.<ref>[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-background-play-fix/ Video Background Play Fix – Get this Extension for 🦊 Firefox (en-US)] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260118202048/https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-background-play-fix/ Archived])</ref>

The visibilitychange event has some legitimate uses such as automatically saving draft posts on an online message board.<ref>[https://xenforo.com/community/threads/message-auto-save-drafts.27665/ Message Auto Save / Drafts | XenForo community]</ref>

=== Google account requirement to download extensions ===

===Google account requirement to download extensions===

Since around 2022, a Google account is required to be able to install extensions from the Google Chrome Web Store.<ref>[https://superuser.com/questions/633706/how-to-install-extensions-in-chrome-without-a-google-account How to install extensions in Chrome without a Google Account? - Super User] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251216080808/https://superuser.com/questions/633706/how-to-install-extensions-in-chrome-without-a-google-account Archived])</ref>

Since around 2022, a Google [[Forced account|account is required]] to be able to install extensions from the Google Chrome Web Store.<ref>[https://superuser.com/questions/633706/how-to-install-extensions-in-chrome-without-a-google-account How to install extensions in Chrome without a Google Account? - Super User] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251216080808/https://superuser.com/questions/633706/how-to-install-extensions-in-chrome-without-a-google-account Archived])</ref>

=== Mandatory pull-to-refresh ===

===Mandatory pull-to-refresh===

In 2019 (Chrome version 75), Google made it impossible to turn off the pull-to-refresh gesture on the mobile version of Chrome, and refused to make it possible again after a high number of complaints.

@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 Users who wish to continue to use the web without their every step being traced by Google and other advertising syndicates have no other option but to switch to a different browser such as [[Mozilla]] Firefox or Vivaldi, which have all pledged to retain full Manifest V2 compatibility in their browsers.
-=== Bloat monopoly ===
+===Bloat monopoly===
 Due to the dominant market share, other web browsers like Firefox are forced to comply with these standards set out by Google in order to be able to access some websites.
@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 <!--sources for entire section--><ref>[https://www.tastyfish.cz/lrs/bloat_monopoly.html LRS Wiki: bloat_monopoly] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250901143501/https://www.tastyfish.cz/lrs/bloat_monopoly.html Archived])</ref><ref>[https://www.nuegia.net/articles/open%20letter%20to%20webmasters.xhtml Open Letter To Webmasters] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250907030831/https://www.nuegia.net/articles/open%20letter%20to%20webmasters.xhtml Archived])</ref><ref>[https://drewdevault.com/2020/03/18/Reckless-limitless-scope.html The reckless, infinite scope of web browsers] - Drew DeVault ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260113055131/https://drewdevault.com/2020/03/18/Reckless-limitless-scope.html Archived])</ref><ref>[https://shadow.lifestyle/browsers.xhtml Browsers - Shadow Wiki] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251119174459/https://shadow.lifestyle/browsers.xhtml Archived])</ref>
-=== visibilitychange event ===
+===visibilitychange event===
 Chrome was the first web browser to implement the "visibilitychange" JavaScript event. This can be used by websites to detect switching to a different tab and, for example, block background playback like the mobile website of YouTube does.<ref>[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document/visibilitychange_event Document: visibilitychange event - Web APIs &#x7C; MDN] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260112100508/https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document/visibilitychange_event Archived])</ref> On Firefox, extensions can block this detection.<ref>[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-background-play-fix/ Video Background Play Fix – Get this Extension for 🦊 Firefox (en-US)] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260118202048/https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-background-play-fix/ Archived])</ref>
 The visibilitychange event has some legitimate uses such as automatically saving draft posts on an online message board.<ref>[https://xenforo.com/community/threads/message-auto-save-drafts.27665/ Message Auto Save / Drafts &#x7C; XenForo community]</ref>
-=== Google account requirement to download extensions ===
+===Google account requirement to download extensions===
-Since around 2022, a Google account is required to be able to install extensions from the Google Chrome Web Store.<ref>[https://superuser.com/questions/633706/how-to-install-extensions-in-chrome-without-a-google-account How to install extensions in Chrome without a Google Account? - Super User] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251216080808/https://superuser.com/questions/633706/how-to-install-extensions-in-chrome-without-a-google-account Archived])</ref>
+Since around 2022, a Google [[Forced account|account is required]] to be able to install extensions from the Google Chrome Web Store.<ref>[https://superuser.com/questions/633706/how-to-install-extensions-in-chrome-without-a-google-account How to install extensions in Chrome without a Google Account? - Super User] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251216080808/https://superuser.com/questions/633706/how-to-install-extensions-in-chrome-without-a-google-account Archived])</ref>
-=== Mandatory pull-to-refresh ===
+===Mandatory pull-to-refresh===
 In 2019 (Chrome version 75), Google made it impossible to turn off the pull-to-refresh gesture on the mobile version of Chrome, and refused to make it possible again after a high number of complaints.