Alternatives to google save browsing?
Any? I dont trust google when they call something save. Are there extensions or third party addons any sort of plugins, is there any other company on earth offering save-browsing?
I read multiple articles that claim google faces a lawsuit 5bn$ for tracking users while using privat/incognito mode. If thats true, which propably is how can i still use "google save browsing" without feeling as if someone is watching over my shoulder?
Chosen solution
I am sorry that I did not fully look. The replacements are as so: (the developers.google.com is an information page and browser.safebrowsing.provider.google.reportURL should stay as is)
safebrowsing.googleapis.com/* => safebrowsing.brave.com/* safebrowsing.google.com/* => safebrowsing2.brave.com/* sb-ssl.google.com/* => sb-ssl.brave.com/*
Brave proxies the requests so that the user's ip is not able to be linked to their partial hashes. Whether or not google knows what these hashes are is irrelevant, they can use the volume of requests to link information to an ip. Here, we are using Brave's services without using Brave.
To explain what a hash is with the least effort is a function that outputs a result after playing with the input a lot, in a way that (hopefully) can't be reversed without bruteforcing. To understand how this protects you, if you change one bit in the input, the output is drastically different.
After this is done, all browsers cut the output to avoid sending the full, bruteforcable hash and "search" google's hashes and checks clientside.
Read this answer in context 👍 2All Replies (12)
Hello,
Few other companies have the ability to host something like this, let alone a huge browser share that can automatically report, so sadly there are not many real alternatives; however, Brave and iOS browsers proxy this procedure, anonymizing this service. I am currently looking to see if I can get the locations of their proxy locations so that one can simply change the location in about:config.
I will make another response once I find said servers.
To reassure you, evidently google does not know what sites you go to, Firefox and other browsers send a partial hash of the url to google and google sends back full hashes that match the partial hash, then Firefox (or a different browser) compares the received full hashes to the full hash of the url clientside
Found where in brave the redirect is, but still looking on the location it goes to
Okay,
WARNING from the moderator team: Changing Firefox pref from the about:config page can sometimes break Firefox or cause strange behavior. You should only do this if you know what you're doing.
Please read Firefox Advanced Customization and Configuration Options to learn more.
In about:config, search for safebrowsing, and every string that includes safebrowsing.googleapis.com/* replace gooogleapis with brave, result being safebrowsing.brave.com/*
andmagdo said
Okay, WARNING from the moderator team: Changing Firefox pref from the about:config page can sometimes break Firefox or cause strange behavior. You should only do this if you know what you're doing. Please read Firefox Advanced Customization and Configuration Options to learn more. In about:config, search for safebrowsing, and every string that includes safebrowsing.googleapis.com/* replace gooogleapis with brave, result being safebrowsing.brave.com/*
Thank you very much! Brave proxy this procedure, anonymizing this service. - Does that mean brave uses google's save-browsing but with a proxy?
I do not know what a "hash" is or how it works. Will do my research on that.
In about:counfig i found 11 results that propably can be edited. However only 3 of the 11 include safebrowsing.googleapis.com Are you aware of how i can edit the other results not including safebrowsing.googleapis.com? Most likely i would simply change google.com to brave.com Unless that will break something? Anyways here is the list of results:
browser.safebrowsing.downloads.remote.url https://sb-ssl.google.com/safebrowsing/clientreport/download?key=%GOOGLE_SAFEBROWSING_API_KEY%
browser.safebrowsing.provider.google.advisoryURL https://developers.google.com/safe-browsing/v4/advisory
browser.safebrowsing.provider.google.gethashURL https://safebrowsing.google.com/safebrowsing/gethash?client=SAFEBROWSING_ID&appver=%MAJOR_VERSION%&pver=2.2
browser.safebrowsing.provider.google.reportURL https://safebrowsing.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=
browser.safebrowsing.provider.google.updateURL https://safebrowsing.google.com/safebrowsing/downloads?client=SAFEBROWSING_ID&appver=%MAJOR_VERSION%&pver=2.2&key=%GOOGLE_SAFEBROWSING_API_KEY%
browser.safebrowsing.provider.google4.advisoryURL https://developers.google.com/safe-browsing/v4/advisory
browser.safebrowsing.provider.google4.dataSharingURL https://safebrowsing.googleapis.com/v4/threatHits?$ct=application/x-protobuf&key=%GOOGLE_SAFEBROWSING_API_KEY%&$httpMethod=POST
browser.safebrowsing.provider.google4.gethashURL https://safebrowsing.googleapis.com/v4/fullHashes:find?$ct=application/x-protobuf&key=%GOOGLE_SAFEBROWSING_API_KEY%&$httpMethod=POST
browser.safebrowsing.provider.google4.lists goog-badbinurl-proto,goog-downloadwhite-proto,goog-phish-proto,googpub-phish-proto,goog-malware-proto,goog-unwanted-proto,goog-harmful-proto,goog-passwordwhite-proto
browser.safebrowsing.provider.google4.reportURL https://safebrowsing.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=
browser.safebrowsing.provider.google4.updateURL https://safebrowsing.googleapis.com/v4/threatListUpdates:fetch?$ct=application/x-protobuf&key=%GOOGLE_SAFEBROWSING_API_KEY%&$httpMethod=POST
And about the 5bn lawsuit on google: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=google+faces+a+lawsuit+5bn&ia=web
Chosen Solution
I am sorry that I did not fully look. The replacements are as so: (the developers.google.com is an information page and browser.safebrowsing.provider.google.reportURL should stay as is)
safebrowsing.googleapis.com/* => safebrowsing.brave.com/* safebrowsing.google.com/* => safebrowsing2.brave.com/* sb-ssl.google.com/* => sb-ssl.brave.com/*
Brave proxies the requests so that the user's ip is not able to be linked to their partial hashes. Whether or not google knows what these hashes are is irrelevant, they can use the volume of requests to link information to an ip. Here, we are using Brave's services without using Brave.
To explain what a hash is with the least effort is a function that outputs a result after playing with the input a lot, in a way that (hopefully) can't be reversed without bruteforcing. To understand how this protects you, if you change one bit in the input, the output is drastically different.
After this is done, all browsers cut the output to avoid sending the full, bruteforcable hash and "search" google's hashes and checks clientside.
andmagdo said
I am sorry that I did not fully look. The replacements are as so: (the developers.google.com is an information page and browser.safebrowsing.provider.google.reportURL should stay as is) safebrowsing.googleapis.com/* => safebrowsing.brave.com/* safebrowsing.google.com/* => safebrowsing2.brave.com/* sb-ssl.google.com/* => sb-ssl.brave.com/* Brave proxies the requests so that the user's ip is not able to be linked to their partial hashes. Whether or not google knows what these hashes are is irrelevant, they can use the volume of requests to link information to an ip. Here, we are using Brave's services without using Brave. To explain what a hash is with the least effort is a function that outputs a result after playing with the input a lot, in a way that (hopefully) can't be reversed without bruteforcing. To understand how this protects you, if you change one bit in the input, the output is drastically different. After this is done, all browsers cut the output to avoid sending the full, bruteforcable hash and "search" google's hashes and checks clientside.
Thanks alot!
So just for those two settings below there are no other options?
Damn, it's so hard to get rid of google.
Really how can you avoid google?
I mean the fact that google is somewhat of implement into firefox make me worry.
Google has way to much influence.
browser.safebrowsing.provider.google4.advisoryURL https://developers.google.com/safe-browsing/v4/advisory
browser.safebrowsing.provider.google.advisoryURL https://developers.google.com/safe-browsing/v4/advisory
I mean, truthfully the easiest way to get rid of the Google in Firefox is disabling everything pertaining to it. I don't use safe browsing, I don't use widevine. I especially don't use Google search
I will say though, this isn't a choice for everyone. Safe browsing is extremely helpful
Modified
andmagdo said
I mean, truthfully the easiest way to get rid of the Google in Firefox is disabling everything pertaining to it. I don't use safe browsing, I don't use widevine. I especially don't use Google search I will say though, this isn't a choice for everyone. Safe browsing is extremely helpful
How can i disabled everything pertaining to it? I dont even know where to start. Why are you not using save-browsing, are the any reasons other than google being a part of it? Ofcourse i never use google search engine, and i disabled widevine. I dont even know what widevine does, but when i saw it's from google i disabled it. Also, what does OpenH264 Video Codec do? Obviously it's a video coder.. but videos which are using H265 or any other codec will still work? For example i can watch youtube while this is disabled, why would i need it?
I do not use safebrowsing because I believe that I can common sense myself outside of issues, especially because I use GNU/Linux and firejail and routinely check myself for vulnerabilities.
Widevine is a Nonfree Content Decryption Module, it is used to enforce drm on music and videos. A big user is spotify.
OpenH264 Video Codec is a Free implementation of the Nonfree h.264/MPEG codec.
(If it wasn't obvious, I am using Free as in Free software.)
andmagdo said
I do not use safebrowsing because I believe that I can common sense myself outside of issues, especially because I use GNU/Linux and firejail and routinely check myself for vulnerabilities. Widevine is a Nonfree Content Decryption Module, it is used to enforce drm on music and videos. A big user is spotify. OpenH264 Video Codec is a Free implementation of the Nonfree h.264/MPEG codec. (If it wasn't obvious, I am using Free as in Free software.)
Can i ask which distro of gnu-linux you are using or which one you recommend? I have tryed kali linux but it seems to be more of hacking and security paltform than a OS as i need one. I am using my pc as a desktop for different kind of things but gaming also plays a role, im not sure if linux is stable for gaming yet, is it? which distro? I heared linux mint or unbuntu are ok?
Did you only disable widevine or you found a way to completly uninstall it? I noticed the firefox version of kali linux does nothave widevine plugin by default.
I personally use a fork of Ubuntu (Xubuntu), but most GNU/Linux distributions are very similar. For a starter, I would suggest a Debian/Ubuntu or Red Hat based distro, but use what you like (I would not suggest an arch based or gentoo based distro (minus CrOS) to start). I use Firefox Beta directly from Mozilla's beta repositories, so I do not have the normal Experience of custom builds.
Linux is stable for a lot of gaming, but it is not perfect yet. Nvidia Graphics are still an annoying issue for non-Pop! users. Valve is making Proton (fork of wine) work for almost all Windows-only games (now including easyanticheat and battleeye games). Also more games than you think have native support.
I do not know if your system has enough space, but I would suggest dual booting before making a decision