this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2023
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Can someone explain to me the google API and DRM situation in stupid people terms? I’m stupidly tech illiterate but I know that this is a big deal and I would like to understand
Sure thing. With this current proposal, when you visit a website, the site asks your browser if you're willing to display it as intended, basically with all and any adverts. If the answer is no, then you can't see the content, if the answer is yes, then you're likely using Chrome or a Chromium based browser and Google can guarantee more ad impressions, because they're first and foremost an advert selling company.
That’s not true - you can still use ad blockers etc as normal.
It’s also not a browser check, it’s a device check. It’s to check that the device can be trusted, like android itself hasn’t been tampered with.
That's equally stupid though... why shouldn't I be able to tamper with my phone's operating system? And how is it any of a website's business if I do?
You can tamper all you want, but apps can already block access to devices that have been tampered with. This just gives that same power to websites.
... yes, and I am obviously very against giving that same power to websites lol. An app is built from the ground up as a UX created by the company, and that is what you are signing up for when you use an app. A browser should be a contained way of rendering data from some webserver according to a user's preferences. Google is apparently trying to "app-ify" web protocols in order to give themselves more power over a user's experience to the detriment of the user.