Mozilla 为 iOS 版 Firefox 加入广告拦截功能

SOFTWARE

Experimental feature to block some, but not all, ads

Firefox for iOS now includes an optional ad blocker, or it will soon. According to Mozilla, the experimental feature "is being introduced to the Firefox user base through a progressive rollout." As such, it might not have turned up for every user just yet.

Off by default, the block uses a filter list based on EasyList to block ads before they load. According to the organization, this means that it covers third-party advertising networks, ad-related trackers, ads served up by websites, as well as pop-ups and overlays.

It does not block ads that appear in search results (including Google and Bing), nor does it block "sponsored content" on Firefox Home or the New Tab Page. In addition, the company stated, "Some websites serve ads in ways that are not covered by the current filter list."

Users might therefore find it less effective than alternatives such as Wipr, Ghostery, or other solutions. However, it is undeniably convenient. Hit a toggle in the app to enable or disable ad blocking, and that's it. Firefox is hardly the first to the party when it comes to browser-based ad blocking on iOS. Brave, for example, boasts all manner of privacy services and ad-blocking features.

MORE CONTEXT

Ad blocking is alive and well, despite Chrome's attempts to make it harder; Google Chrome's crackdown on ad blockers and browser extensions, Manifest v3, is now available in beta; Firefox 152 understands 'Sssh!'; EU browser choice rules send millions more users Firefox's way

The omissions from Firefox's block list will also worry users. Far be it from us to suggest that the substantial chunk of the company's revenue coming from Google might affect what gets blocked, but the decision not to block ads from search engine results might raise an eyebrow.

Ad blocking remains a contentious issue. The attempts to lock down Chrome's browser extension platform could be regarded as only a skirmish in an ongoing war, particularly as another more insidious front has opened up thanks to AI.

A report published today by Adblock Plus warned that advertising in conversational AI is likely on the way. "Such ads," the company said, "change how ad delivery works, can be generated on the fly, and are far harder for users to recognize."

And will likely make Mozilla's foray into iOS ad blocking seem like something from a gentler time. ®

Fire up that iPhone 1 emulation and party like it's 2007

Browser-based fun to remember a time before Apple's annual cash grab became a thing

New motherboards, old RAM, plenty of life left in yesterday's PCs

DDR4 makes a comeback as component costs rise, while Linux offers an escape from forced upgrades

The VMware exit is a protection upgrade

PARTNER CONTENT: VergeIO says an exit is also an opportunity

Tiny11 puts Windows 11 on a diet without the PowerShell workout

New desktop app simplifies stripping out bundled software, with heavier cuts carrying security and support risks

It won't kill you, or humanity, to get off the AI upgrade treadmill

New models arrive so fast, we already have more new tech than it's possible to understand in a career

Cisco, Nvidia team up to build fatter, faster pluggable

If you thought 1.6 Tbps was fast, just wait, Cisco's USFP targets 12.8 Tbps in a single optical pluggable

TOP STORIES

Anthropic asks users to stop being mean to Claude; '123456' password linked to Denmark data breach affecting 8.8M people; Microsoft and Anthropic play invoice tennis with startup's $17,600 Claude bill; Starlink's plan to avoid orbital near-misses: Ephemeris sharing; Shai-Hulud worm makes jump to AI infrastructure with Tensorlake compromise; Dutch tax office ditches Microsoft 365 cloud for on-premises alternative

Cisco, Nvidia team up to build fatter, faster pluggable If you thought 1.6 Tbps was fast, just wait, Cisco's USFP targets 12.8 Tbps in a single optical pluggable; Claude submitted fake murder tip to Philly police during summertime testing Anthropic took more than two months to alert cops; AI systems are fully capable of carrying out nightmare attacks against infrastructure and nobody's ready Meanwhile, AI agents move robotic arms, 'make OT device operator screens lie'; Nvidia found $1B under the couch to help secure American scientific computing dominance Commitment comes as GPUzilla prepares to fortify Uncle Sam's arsenal with at least seven AI-optimized supers; TSMC taps GlobalFoundries to bolster US silicon interposer production in $2B deal Advanced packaging tech is essential to the domestic production of high-performance semiconductors used in AI datacenters

Infosec

Security Russians are posing as Signal support to launch phishing attacks PLUS: US takes down Iranian propaganda sites; Marketing company asks 'Why Do We Have Your Information?' And more!; Security Microsoft patches failed to fix on-prem SharePoint, which is now under zero-day attack PLUS: China upgrades smartphone surveillance tools; Ring eases anti-snooping stance; and more; Black Hat and DEF CON DEF CON Franklin project enlists hackers to harden critical infrastructure Voting village reports have been so successful, says Jeff Moss, that the whole of DEF CON will now be included; Security EQT buys majority share in Swiss cybersecurity biz Acronis Went at equivalent of $3.5B+ valuation for entire firm, though portion sold not specified; Malware Month Ten years since the first corp ransomware, Mikko Hyppönen sees no end in sight On the plus side, infosec's a good bet for a long, stable career

FOSS

NetBSD may have found a new role: The AI-free FOSS OS Increasing awareness and adoption, followed by increasing donations; OpenAI dots inspire open source imitators amid technical difficulties Persistent agents appeal to AI companies, but demand isn't obvious; Ubuntu 'Stonking Stingray' beta swims out: Deeper Rust 'oxidization' plus LLM speech-to-text GNOME 51 is here, and Ubuntu interim releases are getting interesting again; Revive Raskin's 3 laws of software with humane work that considers a dev's duty of care All this, and angry NeoVim users; Firefox 157: Could bold new look be just what Mozilla needs?* Yet another new version of Firefox, with a significant reskin; KDE turns 30 and someone's brought an AI-native desktop proposal Akademy talk imagines Plasma assembling itself around a personal model of each user