Comment by ghostwords
Comment by ghostwords a day ago
>You need multiple extensions
(I develop Privacy Badger.) There are significant benefits to adding PB or uBO to a browser that doesn't already ship with a real built-in ad blocker. While PB and uBO work well together and you may want to use both for various reasons, I wouldn't say you need both. Either one is enough by itself for most people.
>HTTPS Everywhere
HTTPS Everywhere has been deprecated and eventually removed from extension stores a few years ago: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/09/https-actually-everywh...
>Phishing detection
Why isn't what's built into browsers enough?
>Cookie auto-delete
Why bother when blocking trackers and ads?
>Pop-up blocking
Is that the same as the various "annoyances" ad blocker lists?
First off, thank you for everything you do with Privacy Badger—it's been a staple in my browser for years. I really appreciate you taking the time to poke holes in this.
You’re absolutely right about HTTPS Everywhere; that was a oversight in my initial write-up. Since it's now integrated into the major browsers, that’s one less 'fragment' to worry about.
To answer your questions on the 'why' behind the other features:
Phishing detection: The main gap I see with built-in Safe Browsing is the telemetry. Most users don't realize that 'Enhanced Protection' often means sending URLs/metadata back to a central server. I’m exploring a local-first approach (using bloom filters or highly optimized local sets) to keep that check entirely on-device.
Cookie auto-delete: While Total Cookie Protection (Firefox) is great, many browsers still only clear data 'on exit.' For users who keep their browser open for weeks, I see value in 'active' cleaning (e.g., clearing site data 15 minutes after a tab is closed) to minimize the session-tracking window.
The 'All-in-one' goal: My hypothesis is actually driven by the fingerprinting concern you've likely seen discussed. Using uBO + PB + a cookie manager creates a very unique extension fingerprint. I'm wondering if a single, consolidated open-source tool could actually help a user 'blend in' better than a stack of three different ones.
I’m still in the 'talking myself out of it' phase, so this technical pushback is exactly what I was hoping for. Thank you again ghostwords!