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Anyone using Canvas Blocker add-on? (lemmy.ca)

submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by pglpm@lemmy.ca to c/firefox@lemmy.world

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Edit: I found out that the add-on warns about high CPU usage for some of its presets (Preferences->General->Presets). Using a different preset has removed that ~10% CPU usage.

Some preliminary context: Since one or two updates ago, I've noticed that Firefox is using around 10% CPU even then all tabs are unloaded. This didn't happen before. The add-ons I use are still the same, and I have blocked the new LLM functionality. (Maybe someone else noticed the same?) Anyway, in order to investigate, I'm switching off the add-ons one by one, as usually done, checking if the situation improves.

While doing so I was wondering whether I still need Canvas Blocker. I see its most recent reviews are 4 years old now. Does anyone know whether it's still needed for privacy, or if Firefox now provides some of the same functionality built-in? I do use AdBlock Origin as well.

Thank you for info and opinions!

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[–] INeedMana@piefed.zip 7 points 5 days ago (2 children)

From my tests without it the id I was assigned from canvas tracking was repeatable. After enabling it the id was different every time. So to me it seems to be still needed

[–] diaphragmwp@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Now try with fingerprintingProtection (set overrides to +AllTargets) and resistFingerprinting in about:config

[–] INeedMana@piefed.zip 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Huh. That got weird. I'm using Fennec, used https://whatdotheyknow.app/ for checking

With what you proposed the canvas id did keep changing (good) but browser fingerprint stopped changing. And disabling AdNauseam (uB with malice) didn't change anything

[–] diaphragmwp@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Hmmm, that's odd. Although mobile browsers are fucky in general, not much to do there. If you enable letterboxing, the UI will be ugly but you will be more likely to share fingerprints with someone else who enabled that specific feature... Which is a while lot of nobody. If you don't enable it, but use a 720p phone with default font size, you might share a fingerprint with me, lol. Or just wait until home and use a desktop computer. Or Librewolf PostMarketOS...

OR can't get fingerprinted if you embrace it. Get chawan. No site will be adapted to do stuff with that.

As for why there's a difference between the extension and built-in stuff, no clue.

[–] pglpm@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 days ago

Great piece of info, thanks!

[–] tal@lemmy.today 6 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Closes Firefox. Opens with no tabs. looks at top -d20 for a few iterations. Repeats with Canvas Blocker disabled and Firefox restarted. Looks at the about:performance tab in Firefox, looking at Extensions CPU usage each way.

On my system, it's mostly in the neighborhood of 0.4% CPU usage while idling with no tabs either way. I don't see any overwhelming difference. CPU might be a hair higher with that addon enabled, but I'm not willing to spend a lot of time taking a ton of samples looking for for very small differences. You could measure it on your system for an extended period of time if you wanted, though, hammer down exactly whether there's any impact.

[–] pglpm@lemmy.ca 1 points 4 days ago

Thank you for checking this out! I found out that its preferences, under "presets", warn about high CPU usage depending on the presets. Now I chose a different one, and that 10% CPU is gone.

[–] enchanted@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I removed it a year ago for this same reason. Love the extension, hate the seemingly unjustifiable CPU usage.

[–] pglpm@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 days ago

I found out that the add-on itself warns about CPU usage, depending on the settings. It has a preset with low CPU usage.

[–] dan1101@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

Walmart.com doesn't like it, but otherwise I think it's useful.