Alternative to Google Safe Browsing API?

Discussion of features in Mozilla Firefox
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athenian200
Posts: 5
Joined: March 4th, 2007, 12:21 pm

Alternative to Google Safe Browsing API?

Post by athenian200 »

So, I'm trying to de-Google my life as much as possible right now, and I'm trying to see if there's a way I can make Firefox work for me given this goal.

The thing is, it seems like there's very tight Google integration baked into Firefox now. It relies on the Google Safe Browsing API, has Google as the default search engine, etc. And well, if I wanted to deal with and rely upon Google, I'd just use Chrome.

I think there is an option to disable it or something, but the problem is that there's not really a suggestion as to what I could use to protect myself on the web in lieu of it.

The best option I've found so far is simply to use Microsoft Edge, which uses Microsoft SmartScreen and other related technologies instead of Google Safe Browsing. But that leaves me without a solution on any non-Windows 10 operating system.

So I guess what I'm asking is, is there any reasonable way I can setup Firefox to work for me if I happen not to trust Google/Alphabet very much?
lasardo
Posts: 182
Joined: September 9th, 2018, 1:41 pm

Re: Alternative to Google Safe Browsing API?

Post by lasardo »

If you read carefully how Firefox uses the google safe browsing database, it never sends the URLs you are visiting off of your computer. It cannot be used to track you. However, for an advanced user IMO disabling it is fine - any good adblocker includes a good antimalware list, which is all that feature is for, and surely you use an adblocker. If you don't, it is comical to be talking about privacy or security. Just make sure in your ublock origin or similar options that you check the boxes for some of the antimalware lists.
athenian200
Posts: 5
Joined: March 4th, 2007, 12:21 pm

Re: Alternative to Google Safe Browsing API?

Post by athenian200 »

Right, I do use an adblocker already. What I'm wondering is if having a paid product like Trend Micro Internet Security, or else something like the Norton Safe Web plugin plugin would be sufficient to replace the protection provided by Google Safe Browsing.

I mean, presumably if I already have a fully-featured anti-malware Internet Security suite of some kind, that should provide sufficient protection on its own, right?

Part of my concern isn't actually just privacy, it's that I know some webmasters that dislike being expected to use Google Webmaster tools to get their sites de-listed from the blocklist because of an advertisement on the site (which would be blocked for me anyway).
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therube
Posts: 21703
Joined: March 10th, 2004, 9:59 pm
Location: Maryland USA

Re: Alternative to Google Safe Browsing API?

Post by therube »

What version of FF are you using?

And so you trust Norton & Trend more then Google?
Likewise you expect Norton & Trend to be more effective in "safe browsing" then what it is that Google does?

BTW, (Google) Safe Browsing has been a part of Mozilla for quite a while now.
Pale Moon does not use Safe Browsing. What do you use on that end?
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