Can Sponsorblock be detected in Youtube?

arkenfox / user.js

Firefox privacy, security and anti-tracking: a comprehensive user.js template for configuration and hardening

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Can Sponsorblock be detected in Youtube? #1212

Closed ghost closed 3 years ago

ghost commented 3 years ago

Hi! I've been watching more and more youtube videos lately and feel the need to use sponsorblock (I use NewPipe + Sponsorblock on Android and it has been a lifesaver)

For anyone who doesn't know what Sponsorblock is, it's an extension that lets you skip sponsor segways in youtube videos. No security and privacy benefit, just there for convenience.

My question is that can using Sponsorblock or similar extensions can be detected or not

I know I should be using Invidious, but it's not reliable for me most of the time because there are tons of instances and idk which is the fastest for me and sometimes the ones i pick are just down. I would be glad if someone knowledgeable in this area can answer.

Edit: Or should I just be using a different profile? I tried using a different profile for watching anime last time but the prefs are pretty much the same so it just doesn't seem worth it

rusty-snake commented 3 years ago

Can Sponsorblock be detected in Youtube?

It manipulates the DOM (add these green bars, icons, info of itself, ...) => yes.
It fast forwards the video w/o user interaction => yes.

IANAE but if the URIs of the images loaded from web_accessible_resources can be seen by youtube, you're unique.

Or should I just be using a different profile?

???

ghost commented 3 years ago

???

A different FF profile

Well I guess I got my answer. I'm closing this issue. Thanks a lot for the response!

Thorin-Oakenpants commented 3 years ago

Well, if it only manipulates one site, and can't be detected on any others, then who cares

ghost commented 3 years ago

Hmmm, I see. Might reconsider this.

Thorin-Oakenpants commented 3 years ago

OK, so disable all extensions

test: https://abrahamjuliot.github.io/creepjs/tests/prototype.html
did you pass? you should
enable your extension
redo the test: does it leak anything
- some extensions leak some info if they don't interact with the page in any way
- for example NoScript, AdBlocker Ultimate do
- uBO doesn't

I don't know if that test is up to date, there were changes made elsewhere to detect proxy lies, not just prototype lies. TZP is up to date, but runs the short abridged version, not the full gamut - that should be enough

atomGit commented 3 years ago

@TearJoy - perhaps a little off-topic, but check out FreeTube

or if you wanting to use an Invidious instance, check out Privacy Redirect for Firefox

ghost commented 3 years ago

@TearJoy - perhaps a little off-topic, but check out FreeTube

or if you wanting to use an Invidious instance, check out Privacy Redirect for Firefox

I have used FreeTube before, I didn't like it. I've used Privacy Redirect too but I didn't have a use case for it so I just removed it.

OK, so disable all extensions
* test: https://abrahamjuliot.github.io/creepjs/tests/prototype.html

* did you pass? you should

* enable your extension

* redo the test: does it leak anything

  * some extensions leak some info if they don't interact with the page in any way
  * for example NoScript, AdBlocker Ultimate do
  * uBO doesn't
I don't know if that test is up to date, there were changes made elsewhere to detect proxy lies, not just prototype lies. TZP is up to date, but runs the short abridged version, not the full gamut - that should be enough

I passed with extensions enabled and disabled.