> why the hell isn't adblocking built into my browser?

Because the maker of your Web browser is funded by advertising money.

Not mine! I use… ah damnit.

This a really interesting point I never considered, but Mozilla isn’t being paid by a ton of different advertisers to not implement blocking - are they? How would we know?

Side note, I would absolutely pay for a browser that rolled everything in without setting it up myself.

Are there open source browser derivatives that bundle such an extension?

Any browser beside Chrome or Firefox seems to only be installed by power users, who also know how to install an adblocker.

What if I'm using safari?

Still true. Apple makes money off adversting just like anyone else. they also get paid obsurd amounts of money to from Google to make them the default search engine in Safari.

Apple's interests are aligned with corporate interests in general including advertising networks.

I don't know why you are being downvoted for your curiosity.

To answer your question - it's because the major source of revenue for browser makers is search engines. Google, Yahoo, Bing etc. pay browser maker money to bundle their search engine in the browser, and also share a small percentage of revenue with them. Search engines make money from advertising. So obviously they discourage browser makers from including ad blocking tech in browsers. (Look at the money involved - Google Said to Pay Apple $15 Billion to Remain Default Search Engine on Safari in 2021 - https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/google-apple-default-sear... ... and you can understand why it is so difficult to say no to it).

Re the downvotes, I talk too much like Reddit. Dw though I don’t fall for the endorphin trap of seeking approval from my peers; it deters original thought.

Also this accounts a burner so I guess I do fall for the trap but downvote away if you like.

I too often wonder about this. The answer is conflicts of interest. We can't trust Google to maintain an effective ad blocker. Firerox is also funded by Google.

bc Chrome is owned by Google - an advertising company, same goes for Edge?

In fairness, Microsoft includes Adblock Plus with Edge for iOS. It's not enabled by default, though.

(And ABP isn't what it once was, anyway, that's for sure)

Last I remember, AdBlock Plus works with select advertising networks to allow their ads.

Right so we’re willing to use user hostile products and let them run our lives?

And Firefox

> why the hell isn't adblocking built into my browser?

In the case of Brave[1] and Vivaldi[2], it is.

[1]: https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/360022973471-Wha...

[2]: https://vivaldi.com/features/ad-blocker/

I too love ublock but your statement just smacks of stupidity. I don't want a mainstream browser to be so opinionated as to take it upon itself to block various domains. And the meme of calling everything you don't like "absolutely insane"... Take that shit back to Reddit imo

Sure, I get the censorship issue but there’d be nothing stopping you select a blocklist which you politically and socially align to. AFAIK unlock origin does this, so why baking that directly into the browser makes you so mad is beyond me.

And absolutely insane is a dig at this distopia where we’re allowing advertising companies to drive the technology which would arguably be more valuable than currency.

But sure, off to Reddit I go, just because you don’t like the way I talk.

sorry about that. yeah, my own reply was the stupid one.

I think your point about browser companies controlling blocklists is valid, particularly in the current landscape.

I’m all for data privacy and freedom of speech, but i also think we need to place revocable trust in other parties to curate our data in a way that improves signal to noise ratios while not impeding on actual freedoms (lest we revoke our trust).

But also browsers should just disable auto play videos they’re damn offensive.