Ever since HTML5 you can embed media in HTML pages without using plugins(Flash/Silverlight/etc.). EME refers to DRM for that media content. By definition, this

Ever since HTML5 you can embed media in HTML pages without using plugins(Flash/Silverlight/etc.). EME refers to DRM for that media content. By definition, this can only be implemented with a user hostile blob. For all those who do not use Netflix and other similar services the point of disabling EME is to: 1.prevent the very presence of that blob on the computer (There is no way of knowing what that blob does. For all we know it may keep tabs on what you watch for advertising/spying purposes or even unmask your Tor traffic) and 2.to report to servers that "this browser does not support media with DRM. Require DRM for your content and you will loose this user." It is mostly so that places like YouTube/Dailymotion/etc. don't get any ideas about requiring DRM for their content. Of course, by disabling it you will not be able to use platforms that require. EMEs are both better and worse than than previous alternative plugins. They are better because they are sand boxed and their capabilities limited. So less chances of 3'rd party security issues (of course the blob can itself be malicious). On the other hand by being pre-enabled it sends the wrong message. It sends the message that DRM is ok. It sends the message that browser makers are ok with DRM. It sends the message that people are ok with DRM without them ever being asked about it. With plugins, the content distributor was on his own when trying to convince users to install DRM on their computers. DRM is wrong for many reasons I will not expand upon here. Mozilla at least is not ok with DRM but they succumbed to market pressure (browser that does not support Netflix bleeds users). There is a conspiracy theory that they sold out and are ok with DRM but I find it hard to believe. It is more likely they are vary bad at communicating. And people are not ok with it as demonstrated by the failure of DRM in the audio industry. If you do not want platforms like Youtube to decide for you what screen or projector you can use to watch the content they host, one of the signals you can send is to disable EMEs in your browser. Chrome now makes that impossible. Replace this sentence with your preferred profanities addressed towards Google.