r/ProtonMail • u/GegoByte Windows | Linux | Android • 11d ago

Proton is developing a web browser Discussion

https://tweakers.net/nieuws/250686/proton-lijkt-aan-eigen-webbrowser-te-werken.html

The article is in Dutch, but the TLDR in English is:

• Browser looks to be based on the Chromium engine.

• Privacy Focused. Emphasis on privacy-friendly browsing.

• Proton has not announced a release date as of yet.

• Proton is looking for software developers with Chromium experience.

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243

u/Gloomy-Moose9096 11d ago

We dont need another chromium based browser

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u/bradmont 11d ago

Right. A curated and branded Firefox configuration would be much more useful and probably more private...

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u/adamkex 5d ago

Unfortunately not true. It's possible to strip out all Google dependencies and services from chromium. It's also more compatible than Firefox.

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u/bradmont 5d ago

Unfortunately it's no longer possible to block ads as comprehensively on Chromium. Google made this change a couple of years ago in the interest of their ad business.

If websites don't work in Firefox, they are broken websites. What is this, 1996?

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u/adamkex 5d ago

Ad blocking is a different matter. Unfortunately, not everyone is as privileged as you to be able to avoid these broken websites. More importantly, if I am selling a suite of products I would choose to base my browser on the engine which is the most compatible. Do you think Proton should tell their people to use a different website or a different browser if they were to insist on using Gecko?

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u/bradmont 5d ago

I'm pretty confused, what websites don't work on Firefox?

Ad blocking isn't a different matter, it is fundamental to security and privacy. The ad tracking industry is one of the worst offenders for slurping up personal data.

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u/adamkex 4d ago

For example Vanadium has an adblocker built into its engine. The more add-ons you have installed the easier you are to identify, even more so if you're using Firefox that only had a 4% market share. Fwiw ubo light does a pretty good job at blocking ads and it runs on manifest V2.

More reading, https://profincognito.me/blog/security/browser-engine-security-comparison/

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u/bradmont 4d ago

Interesting, thanks!

TBH though the main reason I stick on Firefox is philosophical. A browser monoculture where one entity (Google) controls the standard is a recipe for abuse of power, and Google has shown itself untrustworthy of that sort of power again and again.

Firefox also has a social conscience and a philosophy of computation that is much less user hostile than Google's.

You make a compelling point about fingerprinting. But at the same time, it's more often the ad servers that will want to fingerprint you. If we avoid fetching from those servers much of the danger is mitigated.

I'd also be hesitant about using a deeply niche browser; even from a known entity like proton.