I don’t really use facebook anymore so couldn’t care less; but so happened to log in today to change my password and saw this on my front page.
Ad Blocking is Cyber Security, never ever let anyone convince you differently
if ads were just static PNGs with a link you went to if you clicked I wouldn’t have ever bothered. but ads became a major malware and tracking risk so plugging that security hole became mandatory.
I tried finding that website, but I can’t remember what it is. I’ve seen it use the static image advertisement. It changed on each reload too.
But yes, that website had last update somewhere in the early 2000s.
When I last used it a few years ago ExplainXKCD used static images and had a note about how they hand picked each ad to avoid any problems.
Even static PNG ads are purpose engineered to grab your attention. People with attention disorders like ADHD and autism don’t have as much attention to give, and when it’s gone we’re debilitated. We need to start considering cognitohazards a legally prosecutable form of violence.
Could attention grabbing dark-features be considered a violation of the ADA?
Which part of it, specifically?
Edit: No, the ADA word not apply. My point was that you should understand the ADA a bit better and what it covers. Accessing a building open to the public, not facing discrimination in employment, and accommodations in education environments are examples of things it covers. I’m willing to be proven wrong, but don’t just guess or generalize. Please try and understand the topic a bit more as it’s a very important piece of legislation that makes a big difference in a lot of lives and treating it lightly dilutes that in a similar fashion to emotional support alligators vs trained service animals.
Did you really just compare accommodations for ADHD to “emotional support alligators?”
I am not a lawyer, but there is precedent for ADHD to be covered under the ADA and precedent that it (meaning the ADA) applies to websites for private businesses.
Edit: ADHD fits the definition of a disability as defined by Sec. 12102 of the ADA, specifically:
- 1a: it’s a mental impairment
- 2a1: it affects: learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.
- 3B: it’s not transitory/lasts longer than 6 months
Edit 2: a lawyer could argue that adblocking is an assistive technology for people with ADHD. If a person is looking at a tutorial at work and is inundated with ads that effect their performance at work that they can not block using an adblocker, that is denying a person with a disability as defined by Sec. 12102 of the ADA the full and equal (to a person who is neurotypical and can more easily not get distracted) use of a title III entities service.
Thanks for taking it seriously, that’s what I was looking for.
I’m also not a lawyer, but I do have a disability covered by the ADA. I understand that ADHD is a recognized disability. That’s not the specifics I was looking for.
That being said, the ADA doesn’t define how to make a website accessible and that typically falls to the WCAG, which is not specifically mentioned in the ADA (though neither is ADHD, those cases you mentioned confirmed it is covered). The best things I can find than might cover the specifics of ads are maybe section 2.2.2 or 2.2.4 or 2.4.1 of the WCAG (the first and last are level A, the middle AAA, with the standard recommendation being AA.). How would you apply those (or others you think are more appropriate to ad blocking) given that the guidelines are for service providers and ad blocking is usually done client-side. Examples for 2.4.1 given by W3C just seem to specify a way to move past things like ads via a link.
Also, some interesting other things:
This mentions the following and cites the case on their site:
For example, a web-only service with no nexus to a physical place of public accommodation is not subject to the ADA under Ninth Circuit precedent.
I’m not sure if that’s changed since 2019 or not. California has more specific legislation that covers that, though.
I’m all for ad blocking and accessable websites, I just don’t think the ADA covers ad blocking through the WCAG.
I’m all for ad blocking and accessable websites, I just don’t think the ADA covers ad blocking through the WCAG.
How would you apply those (or others you think are more appropriate to ad blocking) given that the guidelines are for service providers and ad blocking is usually done client-side.
Probably under WCAG Principle 4: “Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.” If we’re treating ad blocking as an assistive technology, purposely attempting to break an assistive technology would run counter to that principle, much in the same way that purposefully breaking a screen reader would (although, it should go with out saying, purposefully breaking screen readability is much worse).
I’m not sure if that’s changed since 2019 or not. California has more specific legislation that covers that, though.
I’m wondering if legal action is something that could be done on a state by state basis starting with California (which conveniently is where Google is headquartered) or if the case could be made that Youtube is used to stream live events and those events should count as a physical nexus under the ADA.
I’m assuming that addictive ui designs fuck with people with ADHD disproportionally. Since ADHD is considered a disability, could things like infinite scroll that can’t be turned off (for example) be considered an ADA violation?
A violation of which part of the ADA? Can you point an a specific part of the law that would cover it?
That was the question posed, yes.
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People are gonna say I’m being hyperbolic or crazy, but I swear that the internet died the day the first line of production Javascript was ever written.
The internet died in September 1994 everybody knows that
Hey, that’s not too far away. Javascript came about in December 1995.
It’s true. I work in a computer shop and we see literally thousands and thousands of dollars lost from people clicking on ads that look like normal buttons (things like “Download”, “Next”, etc). And not just the elderly either. Everyone has a a combination of inputs to get scared and comply. Folks that are otherwise extremely competent and savvy can get scammed too.
The best security you can have online is adblockers, only beaten by using trusted websites.
Edit, fair points with sites being slimy these days. I meant using legitimate versions of websites rather than copy/fake websites designed to steal credentials.
I dunno’, the way Google themselves have served vulnerable ads, it might be true that ad blocking is more important than using “trustworthy” sites.
Does anyone have screenshots of these buttons? I didn’t see an ad for so long that I don’t even know how they look like.
But what websites can you trust these days?
YouTube? Serves up scammy bitcoin ads. Google? Places ads as “search results” Twitter?
Maybe that one website unchanged since 1998.
You can’t trust any website 100%
You need to continously verify and reverify the details you can.
I can totally trust the hmpg site.
Definitely. Ads are eye cancer at best, and infiltration channels for malware at worst. Compromised ad networks pumping out executable code via javascript (or back in the days, Flash) are still a major source of trojan infections.
Yeah, there’s no proper screening process and companies aren’t help liable for malicious advertisements. It’s the Wild west out there, and companies take money from anyone due to there being no consequences. Internet advertising has no proper screening process like network television.
And just to add to your important point, Ad Blockers are really Content Blockers. They allow the user to delete annoyances that have nothing to do with advertising. We should all start calling them Content Blockers.
Have tried the zapper in ublock origin? I love it.
I use it often for sites I rarely will visit again. It keeps My Rules file from getting cluttered.
And it’s fun!!!So fun! I think it gives me a tiny power trip when I feel like Bruce Lee karate-chopping away an annoying part of a website :D
I have said it before, snd I will repeat it as many times as it takes.
Adblocking is security, untill website owners take legal and financial responsibillity for the harm that a hacked ad spreading malware or attenpting any kind of deception, I won’t even consider removing my adblocker.
If this changes, I will consider it, but will still not do it, the risk to my data is too large.
Ads are malware for the mind, even when they’re not malware for the machine.
Well put!
Thanks :) I was quite pleased with that one!
Seems like a feature to me.
Oh yeah aunt Greta, I’m still friends with you, but it’s so weird how I can’t see your anti vax “facts”
That’s the government censorship!
I took a peek at my feed for the first time in years. It’s all junk lol, no one I care about is posting anything
The only thing worth seeing is my local Buy Nothing group, but there are other services popping up which do something similar.
Yeah all my actual friends are messaging me elsewhere, facebook is more like a picture dump for old people. I only use it occasionally for joining various expat groups since I move countries frequently for my job, and they are rather resourceful.
It sure might be, but the one friend who got blocked is just casually posting stuff from his personal life, nothing spammy going on there. Either facebook is screwing with me, or they are playing out some friend’s posts in the ad-network stream so you are actually losing some genuine content. That would be evil (and totally something Meta would do), but I really couldn’t care less.
I do think that sounds more like they’re hiding it and blaming adblock than pretending something was missed. Wouldn’t be surprised if it starts small and ramps up over time, but that’s just speculation.
Your ad blocker is blocking posts from friends
Thank fucking god
My Facebook is hardly even friends these days. It’s basically ads, suggested posts, and posts in groups. Maybe because none of my friends really post anymore, I dunno.
I’m at the stage where I check it once a day, maybe twice, for things like birthdays and anything important that my friends post. 90% of what’s there is suggested posts, ads, or reposted shit. ‘What type of gemstone suits you best? Tap here to find out!’
Other than YouTube, I’m basically off all of these centralized social media platforms and it feels great.
I do need to occasionally use Facebook for market place and messenger for contacting business.
Basically every business operates over messenger where I live.
Yes same for me, whatsapp is pretty much the only “genuine” communication channel. I only keep a presence on facebook since I have to move countries frequently for work, and the “expats in $city” groups are quite helpful to find people, and then move the discussions off-platform :-)
I’m trying to encourage people to move to peertube. Not much content there, but i’ll reward what intersting content I find. You should too
Yeah, also please, make some content.
Doesn’t matter that it stinks, we wont watch it till you get better anyway.
I’ve been trying to switch over but haven’t found a good iOS app yet. Know of any?
So all my “friends” are actually ads?
Guess I don’t need to use Facebook
I’ve never had an issue with any of the changes Facebook has made over the past 5 years.
That’s because I haven’t used facebook at all.
How does one block a post from a friend with an ad-blocker? Do some of your friends type like shills? Is Facebook making numbers up for fun?
It’s probably made-up garbage. If they knew my ad-blocker had actually blocked a friend, I’m sure they would have found a way not to get anything blocked.
Or alternatively they are now displaying some friend’s posts on the same channel normally reserved for ad networks so they are indistinguishable via software? But then it should be way more than one, unless this is some early A/B testing crap.
Sounds they detect adblock and then hide friends posts.
They probably are detecting your ad blocker, and choosing to block random posts as a strange kind of disciplinary behavior.
This is it. This is how these companies think.
I’d still take half content without ads over full content with ads. Not like I know what I’m not seeing so can’t I really miss it?
I saw sometimes ads that was claiming that one of my friends like that product too. My bet is on that.
BTW: I stayed using user script to remove recommendations, suggestions and other crap like that. It makes Facebook so much more bearable but interestingly also feels less addictive.
bye fb
Better late than never
Best decision I ever made. Weeks later I realized how much better life was without that trash. Totally impacted by demeanor
Oh no! Anyway…
I find it quite dubious their claim of it blocking posts from friends, vs. ads. Friends don’t post ads, so if it’s blocking posts, they are inserting ads colored up as “friend posts”.
Ok but who the fuck uses Facebook?
Boom boom boomers
So people who don’t know about adblockers, generally.
Averyone who wants to have social life in my country
Oh wow, im sorry for you.
There are a few countries where Facebook is still pretty popular. The Philippines, for example
How many of yall are still using facebook? Be honest.
I stopped in 2015. For all I care, load it to the rim with ads. Hopefully, more people will come off it because of it.
I use it for marketplace though it’s not my favourite. More tire-kickers and scammers on FB than craigslist.
I think my friends who use social media still use messenger for group chats.
Only when searching for cars on Marketplace, as there isn’t any other site or platforms with the amount of listings that fb has
I thought they discontinued selling cars there?
Certainly not where I live, not sure in the US
I looked it up. They discontinued allowing businesses to post vehicles on Facebook Marketplace.
Ah, yeah that makes sense
it’s more like I have it and sometimes visit to see if something happened
I have a fake profile with my real name on there just to troll around my extended family as they use it. Even that is insufferable for me.
I log in once a week since I’m in a few useful groups, but haven’t posted in a solid decade.
this is such an insidious way to stop people from using ad blockers. It’s not like facebook isn’t deliberately making sure these false positives happen.
If they can tell you when and how many of your friend’s posts were blocked, they could just as easily not block them.
“they could just as easily present them in a way that wouldn’t be blocked” would be a more accurate way of phrasing it. Facebook is not the one blocking this content - rather, it’s detecting that it has been blocked (clientside)
Everyone should be using the Facebook addon “Facebook Purity” if they are still using the platform. I’ve been using it for over a decade and I can’t stand using Facebook without it…
They are always a few steps ahead of Facebook and work well with other blockers.
Not only that, you can block specific parts of Facebook, not just the adverts. You can block the shorts, people you know, groups, keywords, and even whole topics.
You can change settings, like how you see your feed and it will stay changed.
Changing the font size, type, spacing in addition a bunch of color and night mode options are just icing on the cake.
In my professional opinion, it’s the only way of working with that platform is not harmful to one’s sanity.
Anything that blocks wordle posts would be welcome
People still do Wordle? I thought that was a trend that blew up and died a while ago.
pretty bold of them.
at least youtube actually offers a valuable service in return.
Sorry, you don’t appreciate getting the highlight reel of everyone else’s life to make yourself feel inferior?
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Yeah, Facebook can not know when your adblocker is blocking those posts, unless they did it themselves.
