Google Chrome: Difference between revisions
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===Discontinuation of Manifest V2 support (2024)=== | ===Discontinuation of Manifest V2 support (2024)=== | ||
Google, whose main business is online advertising, has discontinued support for browser extensions using the Manifest V2 standard.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manifest V2 support timeline |url=https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/develop/migrate/mv2-deprecation-timeline |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[Google]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260222183954/https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/develop/migrate/mv2-deprecation-timeline |archive-date=22 Feb 2026}}</ref> This renders advertising/tracking blockers such as uBlock Origin unusable and deactivates the corresponding plugins on update. Only versions with very limited blocking functionality remain usable. | Google, whose main business is online advertising, has discontinued support for browser extensions using the Manifest V2 standard.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manifest V2 support timeline |url=https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/develop/migrate/mv2-deprecation-timeline |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[Google]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260222183954/https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/develop/migrate/mv2-deprecation-timeline |archive-date=22 Feb 2026}}</ref> This renders advertising/tracking blockers such as {{Wplink|uBlock Origin}} unusable and deactivates the corresponding plugins on update. Only versions with very limited blocking functionality remain usable. | ||
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. | 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. | ||
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Pull-to-refresh is known for causing accidental refreshes when the user intends to scroll up. | Pull-to-refresh is known for causing accidental refreshes when the user intends to scroll up. | ||
<ref>[https://chromestory.com/2019/07/disable-pull-to-refresh-on-chrome-for-android/ You Can No Longer Disable "Pull to Refresh" on Chrome for Android - Chrome Story] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260108132655/https://chromestory.com/2019/07/disable-pull-to-refresh-on-chrome-for-android/ Archived])</ref><ref>[https:// | <ref>[https://chromestory.com/2019/07/disable-pull-to-refresh-on-chrome-for-android/ You Can No Longer Disable "Pull to Refresh" on Chrome for Android - Chrome Story] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260108132655/https://chromestory.com/2019/07/disable-pull-to-refresh-on-chrome-for-android/ Archived])</ref><ref>[https://ghostarchive.org/archive/8gSU2 No way to disable pull-to-refresh [391378124] - Chromium]</ref><ref>[https://megalodon.jp/2025-0111-2220-13/https://support.google.com:443/chrome/thread/8391096/wanting-to-know-how-to-disable-pull-to-refresh-as-it-s-no-longer-showing-up-in-flags?hl=en Wanting to know how to disable pull to refresh as it's no longer showing up in flags - Google Chrome Community]</ref><ref>[https://megalodon.jp/2025-0701-0647-33/https://support.google.com:443/chrome/thread/8152831 Missing Android Chrome 75 flags disable-pull-to-refresh-effect How to disable it now? - Google Chrome Community]</ref><ref>[https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/malware-google.html Google's Software Is Malware - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260203060955/https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/malware-google.html Archived])</ref> | ||
===Google Chrome silently downloading a language model on user's device (2026)=== | |||
Since March 2026, Google Chrome users found the Chrome web browser downloads a 4GB sized language model in Windows and OS X devices, corresponding to [[Google Gemini]] Nano, without the user's notice or consent. This model serves for built-in AI features as writing improvement tools or scam detection. It has brought concerns about privacy law violations and device energy usage. The model can be found as a file named as ''weighs.bin'', located inside a folder named ''OptGuideOnDeviceModel''. If the user attempts to delete it, the browser will download it again. This behavior can be disabled by accessing to ''chrome//:flags'' in the top navigation bar, by using third-party tools or by completely uninstalling the browser.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hanff |first=Alexander |date=4 May 2026 |title=Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your device without consent. At a billion-device scale the climate costs are insane. |url=https://www.thatprivacyguy.com/blog/chrome-silent-nano-install/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260504192142/https://www.thatprivacyguy.com/blog/chrome-silent-nano-install/ |archive-date=2026-05-04 |access-date=5 May 2026 |website=That Privacy Guy}}</ref> | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||