Firefox DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials Extension NOT injecting CSS for Google Ads

https://addons.mozilla.org/nl/firefox/addon/duckduckgo-for-firefox/

My questions are:

  • Does the DuckDuckGo Firefox extension "Privacy Essentials" add a local css file to every visited site?
  • Can others reproduce this?
  • Is this harmfull or not?

Background:

I have a simple static one page site with just one html and css file. It's completely tracker free. Debugging it a bit with developer mode (F12) on I discovered a second css file. This file isnt on my webserver but added local. To pinpoint what caused this I removed every add-on / extension in my browser one by one, reloading and checking my website every time. Took me a while because didnt expect this one causing it.

To reproduce:

  • Install the extension from the link.
  • Open a random site
  • Check in developer mode the tab Style editor.
  • Scroll and look for a file named %3Ais(%5Bid*%3D'google_ads_iframe'%5D%.css or something like that.
  • Remove the extension and refresh.
  • Check if the file disappears.

Content of the css file: :is([id*='google_ads_iframe'], [id*='taboola-'], .taboolaHeight, .taboola-placeholder, #credential_picker_container, #credentials-picker-container, #credential_picker_iframe, [id*='google-one-tap-iframe'], #google-one-tap-popup-container, .google-one-tap-modal-div, #amp_floatingAdDiv, #ez-content-blocker-container) { display:none!important; min-height:0!important; height:0!important; }

Edit 25-03-2024: Changed title to not give the wrong impression. See comments below.

85 points · 8 comments · view on lemmy.world

8 Comments

anamethatisnt@lemmy.world · 142 pts · 2y (4 replies)

It is used to replace empty spaces left by Google Ads, more info here:
https://old.reddit.com/r/duckduckgo/comments/14r3vde/does_duckduckgo_privacy_essentials_firefox_uses/

joeldebruijn@lemmy.ml · 54 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Oh thnx, I should search more around. 😁👍

Solid answers there.

Syn_Attck@lemmy.today · 9 pts · 2y (1 reply)

You should edit the title because most people aren't going to click through and read, they're just going to assume the title is correct.

joeldebruijn@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 2y

Fair point, done!

governorkeagan@lemdro.id · 4 pts · 2y

alt frontend if anyone wants

MrSoup@lemmy.zip · 36 pts · 2y

Without looking too much, I think it is to remove white spaces left behind by removing google ads.

zelifcam@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y
[ removed ]
delirious_owl@discuss.online · -1 pts · 2y

I dont use the extension, but I saw a CAPTCHA on ddg for the first time the other day. I'm not a bot, but why would it even matter if I wrote a bot that used ddg?

Sigh, what's the best ddg alternative?

possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip · -2 pts · 2y

Yeah DDG is kind of a placebo