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Isn't this article incorrect? Apple changed the _distribution_ mechanism for Safari extensions, something they have been communicating for a year to developers.
by st3fan 7y ago
Isn't this article incorrect? Apple changed the _distribution_ mechanism for Safari extensions, something they have been communicating for a year to developers. And many developers, like 1Blocker, have already moved on to the new extension packaging format and work just fine like they did.
What they have not done is cripple Safari's web extension capabilities. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I am sure developers can still use the exact same blocklists that they used before.
Same as documented on https://developer.apple.com/documentation/safariservices/creating_a_content_blocker https://developer.apple.com/documentation/safariservices/cre...
Comparing this to what Chrome pulled is not fair - I think Chrome actually crippled ad blocker capabilities, while Apple only changed the format of a packaged extension.
Right?
- danpalmer 7y agoNot quite. Safari extensions were, like other browsers, a package of JS that could mostly run as it liked in your tab. The new app extensions system is more generally applicable across the system, but more precise in what it allows. For example, it allows an app to provide a sharing target – so that other apps can share content to it. The relevant thing that's provided here is a content blocking extension point. Unlike ad blockers providing a bundle of JS that may or may not block ads, record your browser history, etc, the content blocking extension point is a pull-based system. Safari asks the app for its list of content to block, then computes that into a fast lookup table of some sort, and never talks to the app during browsing. This means ad blocker app built with the app extensions API is more secure, more private, and in all likelihood, faster. Potential complexity is reduced, but that may be worth it.