Why there aren't ad blocking apps on Google Play
Why there aren't ad blocking apps on Google Play
AdGuard for Android is a powerful app that blocks ads and protects your privacy. But why it's not available on the Google Play Store? Read on to find out.
The article is AdGuard centric but it sheds light on the whole process where Google suddenly decided to ban ad blockers.
Let me summarize it for you: Because Google is an advertising company
Look elsewhere, got it.
I'm glad we have that ability on Android.
For now. Google is locking down certificates in Android 14 which absolutely cannot be changed even by devs (barring exploits, which will be patched because this is Alphabet’s bread and butter on the line).
Google has put into place infrastructure to lock apps down as well with its App Bundles to replace APKs. And, wouldn’t you know it, they just so happen to rely on Google to be functional and even built! Custom made for your device and configuration and account. What a coincidence that you can’t rip that off your device and widely share it without massive workarounds. And even then, with Google clamping down on CAs….
People best become acquainted with ROMs again. Providing, of course, that Android doesn’t start employing anti-root tactics like Apple does which essentially eliminates the possibility of almost everybody actually owning their devices.
This is a good thing. Or, can be. Android exists due to the lacks that existed/exists in iOS. With those same limitations coming to android, something new, something better will come. Maybe something like the current Linux phones, but with increased support that will come from the exodus. Like Lemmy stagnating for a while, then suddenly becoming close to amazing due to the Reddit enshitification, so will come this new generation of smartphones due to the enshitification of Android and iOS. It could be good. It could be much worse. Time will tell.
Google is locking down certificates in Android 14 which absolutely cannot be changed even by devs
Hopefully Firefox adds an easy way to add a certificate. They had it already, never understood why they removed it.
Google has put into place infrastructure to lock apps down as well with its App Bundles to replace APKs
I don't think they can replace APKs with AABs as the only solution - EU wants them to have support for alternative stores. In theory they could do separate Android for EU and the rest of the world, but I don't think they will.
Can you use an adblocking DNS provider to circumvent this?
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Please stop spreading FUD. Be precise in your claims. Google is restricting on Android 14 not being able to install apps that target APIs equal to or older than Android 6 in the long run. Source: https://android-review.googlesource.com/c/platform/frameworks/base/+/2399538
There is also said to be an ADB switch that allows bypassing this enforcement, thereby allowing full freedom. Personally, I see this as a good way to prevent users from installing apps that have not been updated since 12 years.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
At the time, there were a number of apps on Google Play that offered content filtering functionality, such as AdAway, AdFree, Ad Blocker, and AdBlock Plus.
In 2016, Google tweaked its developer policy to clarify what actions are prohibited, and for the first time directly named ad blockers as a target.
After AdGuard for Android, which filters traffic for all apps on your device, could no longer be distributed through the Google Play Store, we had to find another way to reach our users and provide them with updates.
The increased visibility this store provides would allow us to introduce the app to more people who can block ad-based tracking, thereby protecting their privacy.
The reality is that most casual users install apps exclusively from the Google Play Store, and that means they are currently missing out on a chance to protect themselves from trackers and ads.
We hope that Google will change its stance and give people the choice and tools to protect themselves from pervasive tracking technology and invasive advertising.
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Because google is an ad company... they are literally trying to make chrome where its not possible to block ads.
i'm sorry but i have to be pedantic here. it's not how you get your revenue it's the good or service you provide.
magazines are not ad companies. TV channels are not ad companies. the source of your revenue does not make you a company in a sector of that source.
Google literally considers itself an ad company. They have a huge framework meant to profit off of ads shown on other products and platforms. They sell data as a service to better target consumers for advertisement. It's not comparable to a tv channel.
Yeah but Google biggest services are mostly free. The main source of income, although they have improved that by offering other paid services all these years, has been ad revenue on their free services.
All of googles products except cloud exist to either sell customer data to companies to advertise to or they direct you to websites who pay.
They are an ad data company. Search is a means to deliver ads. Chrome, mail, docs, etc were all there for ecosystem lock in... for what money? Customer data. For ads. Google+? User base. For ads.
Youtube doesnt make them shit except for advertising. Youtube premium isnt selling which is why they are getting aggressive with it.
Google is an advertising company and secondarily , a cloud provider.
Anyone have a reco for a good FOSS android adblocker?
rethink DNS is getting pretty damn good.
Was using DNS66 and switched to Rethink DNS. At home I just run Infoblox with RPZ feeds to block ads.
Adguard DNS is my go to, but it's mostly because it's easy to recommend
There is no need for an actual installed adblocker. You can simply change system wide DNS to block ads. You can really use any DNS you choose, but I'd suggest mullvads DNS.
https://mullvad.net/en/help/dns-over-https-and-dns-over-tls/
Look for "private DNS" on your phone, or switch it on your browser if on desktop.
Pi-Hole + VPN. Connect to the VPN via the phone, having all the data that hits your phone passing through your Pi-Hole first.
Look forward to the replies on this one.
On my desktop, I haven't seen an ad in ages, they really piss me off. But on my phone I just seem to suffer through them.
At home I really should set up a pi hole I guess. But that doesn't solve it when out and about.
ive got ublock on ff for web, then instander on IG which is the only app I use with ads
Install PiVPN on the same Pi running Pi-hole and you can use your Pi-hole anywhere you go (plus you can also access any device on your home LAN).
Netguard has network filtering as a paid feature. It has a pretty steep learning curve, but very full featured.
€ 0.10 or more
yes, it's "paid" 👉 10 cents
if you read the faq once, you have all your responses. It's not fair to call it a steep learning curve
I've been using Dns66 since 2017. I tried blokada (from GitHub) and didn't like it. Haven't tried others, so I'm also curious what other folks are using.
Blokada on Android is the best. Get it from the website, though, not Google Play. Even though it is there, the website version is better.
blokada 4? 5? 6? blokada is not the best but it can be enough. i have 4 on an old machine, 5 on another. Too opaque for me.
all of these are open source:
That’s no surprise to me. Ads are Google’s core business. Why should they support technologies that potentially limit their profits?
It's about selling your data to third parties so they can sell you sh@t and also about preventing you blocking ads playing in video content they provide or are associated with, it's 100% to do with making money and ad blockers lower their income, for that reason they'd rather ad blockers not exist nor third party alternatives to their streaming services that do not carry the ads they're trying to block those apps continuously.
Conflict of interest.
Gasp
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F_Droid InviZible Pro also blocks, among others, ads (DNScrypt Proxie, I2P and TOR network), also in Google Play, but there only the "descaffeinate" version.
Vivaldi browser has an inbuild and customizable ad- and trackerblocker.
Why not rename the app to Adguard DNS and provide the adblocking functionality. ?
Because Google is an advertising firm hiding in "technology oriented"
This is why F-droid is so important