Chrome 57 will have DRM permanently enabled

[NumLock21]

Google's web browser Chrome, its next version 57, will have the Widevine DRM permanently enable and there is no way to disable it. The whole DRM began with EME (Encrypted Media Extension)

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an HTML specification which allows DRM plugins to encrypt web content. The specification was proposed by Netflix, as well as by Google and Microsoft.

The advantages of that, was users who wants to play protected content, won't need to run additional plugins such as Adobe flash or Microsoft Silverlight, that's used by Netflix. Since Silverlight was a dying pluging and Adobe flash has its own set of security issue, Netflix had to write their entire site for HTML, where they decided to just create a dedicated program instead of running through a browser. The problem with EME was it did not get rid of the plugin such as Silverlight or Flash it had promised, and now it requires another DRM plugin for which ever browser you're using, such as if a user is running on Chrome, to play protect content, they will need both the EME and Widevine DRM plugins. The DRM itself also possess a security risk of their own as,

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researchers are banned from looking for them, due to Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). That means malicious hackers, who already engage in other criminal activities, may freely take advantage of all the vulnerabilities they find in these DRM plugins before companies discover them on their own.

Other problem are

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Beyond the plugin issue, there may also be an oligopoly issue, because the content market will depend on four, and perhaps soon only three, major DRM services players: Google, Microsoft, and Apple. All of these companies have their own operating systems, so there is also less incentive for them to support other platforms in their DRM solutions.

What that means in practice is that if you choose to use a certain Linux distribution or some completely new operating system, you may not be able to play protected content, unless Google, Microsoft, or Apple decide to make their DRM work on that platform, too.

 

One other plug in that cannot be disable in Chrome 57 is its native PDF viewer. When opening up PDF files, it won't allow user to open the pdf file with the program of their choice. 

DRM protects the artist's work, as they work hard for it. But to some what break the consumers' PC is, something they need to find a better solution, where both sides can agree on.

 

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/chrome-57-permanently-enabled-drm,33527.html

[captain_to_fire]

2 minutes ago, huilun02 said:

Firefox? 

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Perhaps EME’s biggest flaw is ultimately that it didn’t fulfill its main promise to get rid of plugins. Not only does EME require a DRM plugin for protected content, but it requires one for each browser, for whichever platform you may be using. Microsoft’s Edge browser uses the company’s own Windows 10 native DRM, while Chrome and Firefox use Google’s Widevine DRM. Firefox also uses Adobe’s “Primetime” DRM plugin.

From the source article

[DrMikeNZ]

Anything you can view you can copy. The only way to ensure it cannot be copied or altered is to encrypt it such that the user cannot view it.

DRM is a waste of time.

[captain_to_fire]

1 minute ago, huilun02 said:

So there will be a Firefox 57 released by Google? 

No. Firefox is using Google's own DRM plugin. Firefox is still developed and maintained by Mozilla Corporation.

[Dabombinable]

5 minutes ago, hey_yo_ said:

No. Firefox is using Google's own DRM plugin. Firefox is still developed and maintained by Mozilla Corporation.

At least it can be disabled in Firefox

[captain_to_fire]

1 minute ago, Dabombinable said:

At least it can be disabled in Firefox

Until when? 

[Electronics Wizardy]

5 minutes ago, hey_yo_ said:

No. Firefox is using Google's own DRM plugin. Firefox is still developed and maintained by Mozilla Corporation.

But how do you do drm open source?

[EarthboundHero]

Does this mean Chrome can play Netflix in 1080P now?

[AlTech]

Well fuck.

 

Companies just don't trust honest consumers.

 

Another reason for somebody to make an alternative to Chrome which doesn't use Chromium.

[AlTech]

3 minutes ago, Kumaresh said:

Opera and Vivaldi FTW

Opera and Vivaldi are based off of Chromium as well and thus they probably will also be affected.

[SurvivorNVL]

31 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

Opera and Vivaldi are based off of Chromium as well and thus they probably will also be affected.

Maxthon ftw.

[LAwLz]

I thought this was already the case. I doubt many Chrome users had it disabled to begin with so it shouldn't matter.

Chromium shouldn't be affected, and even if it is you can just strip that part out (yay for open source).

 

I think the bigger problem is that this exists to begin with. We had several years on us to stop this, but only Mozilla were on the consumer's side and was against it. Fucking Microsoft, Google, Apple and Netflix were all for fucking consumers in the ass, and several people were actually defending them.

 

 

Just one of the many reasons I use Firefox.

[RagnarokDel]

Is that in chromium?

[Dabombinable]

26 minutes ago, RagnarokDel said:

Is that in chromium?

Nope. Just Chrome. Chromium has all the Google shit stripped out.

[suicidalfranco]

3 hours ago, AluminiumTech said:

Opera and Vivaldi are based off of Chromium as well and thus they probably will also be affected.

chromium = open source

chromium can't be open if it ships with this dam crap

therefore chromium won't get this shit

[Tieox]

I am possibly missing a massive point here, but surely it matters for nowt since if your paying for your services you are fine right? 

[AlTech]

4 minutes ago, suicidalfranco said:

chromium = open source

chromium can't be open if it ships with this dam crap

therefore chromium won't get this shit

Noice. I'm assuming this means that Chromium users still won't be able to watch Netflix.

 

And I'm guessing that YouTube will eventually not work on Chromium if Google rolls this out to YouTube.

[Tieox]

1 minute ago, AluminiumTech said:

Noice. I'm assuming this means that Chromium users still won't be able to watch Netflix.

 

And I'm guessing that YouTube will eventually not work on Chromium if Google rolls this out to YouTube.

 

Why would YouTube need DRM? the only reason I can imagine is controlling copyright content from the visitors country, and then a VPN should still work?

[AlTech]

2 minutes ago, Kierax said:

Why would YouTube need DRM? the only reason I can imagine is controlling copyright content from the visitors country, and then a VPN should still work?

Cos Google might want to beef up YouTube?

[Thony]

How about they let the users know whern their chrome is updated. 

 

Have had it for many years and I cant even remmeber when it was last updated becaue it doesnt mention it... Was quied surprised with naming it "57". 

[suicidalfranco]

32 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

Noice. I'm assuming this means that Chromium users still won't be able to watch Netflix.

 

And I'm guessing that YouTube will eventually not work on Chromium if Google rolls this out to YouTube.

chromium user still have the option to manually add the widevine module the same way they can add the pepper flash module, don't know why they would want to inflict themselves cancer but they have the option to do so

[AlTech]

39 minutes ago, Thony said:

How about they let the users know whern their chrome is updated. 

Google usually updates Chrome several times per year.

39 minutes ago, Thony said:

Have had it for many years and I cant even remmeber when it was last updated becaue it doesnt mention it... Was quied surprised with naming it "57". 

yeah they really don't know how to give products proper version numbering.

[BuckGup]

To Opera!!! Wait no....

[Zodiark1593]

7 hours ago, AluminiumTech said:

Well fuck.

 

Companies just don't trust honest consumers.

 

Another reason for somebody to make an alternative to Chrome which doesn't use Chromium.

Says the community that has a piracy focused thread in Off Topic... 

 

*shrugs*

[Thony]

1 hour ago, AluminiumTech said:

Google usually updates Chrome several times per year.

yeah they really don't know how to give products proper version numbering.

I know it gets updated. My point was we never know its uodated until we notice a change. It often doesnt provide yoy with a popup or notification on desktop telling you "hey, your browser has been updated, here are update notes".