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Why Mozilla's decision to remove Bypass Paywalls Clean extension is a wake-up call for internet users everywhere

Ashwin
Apr 20, 2023
Updated • Apr 20, 2023
Added Mozilla's statement and information about installing the extension directly from its GitLab project page.
Firefox add-ons
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Bypass Paywalls Clean is a popular extension for Firefox, Chrome, which as the name suggests, circumvents paid subscriptions on popular websites, allowing users to read the content for free. The add-on is no longer available on Mozilla's add-on store (AMO).

Mozilla removes Bypass Paywalls Clean extension from its add-ons repository

Mozilla removes Bypass Paywalls Clean extension from its add-ons repository

It is unclear why the add-on has been removed, The developer claims that Mozilla took it off the repository without any notification.

Update: A Mozilla spokesperson provided the following comment:

“Mozilla received a copyright takedown notice regarding this addon and forwarded it to the developer, along with instructions about how to submit a counter-notice. We haven’t received a counter-notice from this developer.”

The developer also speculated that it may be because the extension had too many users. You may refer to the developer's Twitter, Gitlab page to read the above statement.

I already explained the add-on's functionality in the first line of this article.  Now, it is possible that one of the sites hit the Bypass Paywalls Clean add-on with a DMCA notice, which in turn could have resulted in Mozilla delisting the extension from its store. I'm not entirely sure about this, because if that was the case, wouldn't Mozilla have notified the developer? Or maybe it breached some clause in the terms and conditions of the repository. We can't tell that for sure, all that we know is that you can no longer download the plugin from the add-ons store.

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The developer says that they have updated the add-on to version 3.5.0. You may not see the update even if you already have the extension, because it has been delisted. You can, however, opt-to install the signed version by side-loading the XPI from the project's GitLab releases page. If you choose to go with that version, you should export your custom filters before switching.

Not many people may like installing add-ons (even if they are signed) that are not hosted on Mozilla's site, for security reasons. The good news it that the author of the add-on also maintains a filter list that you can use with ad blockers, so you will get the same functionality without the extension, at least as far as the popular sites are concerned. Here's how to use it.

How to bypass paywalled articles using uBlock Origin

1. Click on the uBlock Origin icon in your browser.

2. Switch to the Filter lists tab.

3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click the checkbox next to "Import".

how to enable custom filter lists in ublock origin

4. This will allow you to use custom filter lists. Paste the following URL in the text box.

https://gitlab.com/magnolia1234/bypass-paywalls-clean-filters/-/raw/main/bpc-paywall-filter.txt

How to bypass paywalled articles using uBlock Origin for Firefox and Chrome

5. Click on the Apply changes button at the top of the page. You should see a new filter labelled "Bypass Paywalls Clean filter".

How to use bypass paywalls clean with uBlock Origin

That's it, the filter is ready to use. Try it by going to a website that has a paywall, and you should be able to access the articles for free.

This method works with Firefox, Waterfox, Chrome, Vivaldi, Edge, and Brave, basically any browser that supports uBlock Origin, Adblock Plus, etc., that supports custom filter lists.

Note: The website for the filter list mentions that it can be used with other ad blocker apps for mobile like AdGuard for iOS, Samsung Internet browser, etc. I haven't tried these so YMMV, I use the filter on Firefox for Android.

If you don't want to use the ad blocker filter, you can choose to subscribe to the Bypass Paywalls Clean user script via the Violentmonkey (for Firefox or Chrome), or similar extensions. The user script is available in 9 languages, and can be found on GitLab.

How to install bypass paywalls clean using Violentmonkey userscript

I use the add-on frequently to research stuff, learn new things. This is how the internet should be, free for everyone, without censorship and restrictions.

How to install Bypass Paywalls Clean on Firefox

  1. Go to the add-on's GitLab page.
  2. The Releases page contains a link for the Bypass Paywalls Clean XPI file.
  3. Click on the latest version to download it, and save it to your computer.
  4. Open the about:addons page in Firefox.
  5. Click the gear cog icon at the top of the page. It's located below the search bar.
  6. Select "Install add-on from file."
  7. Navigate to the folder where you saved the add-on, and select the XPI file.
  8. Firefox will ask you whether you would like to install the extension. Click the add button to approve the installation.

This is a one time process, you don't have to repeat it to update the add-on. You may update Bypass Paywalls Clean directly from the about:addons page > Check for updates.

Risks of installing add-ons from other sources

While Bypass Paywalls Clean is safe to use, not all add-ons out there are made with good intentions. Hackers often release malicious extensions that may infect your browser, and steal your browsing data, passwords, payment details such as credit card information.

You need to pay attention to where you are getting the add-ons from, though sometimes attackers may mimic official sites with malicious clones. One way of staying safe to only install add-ons that are popular among users, and have been reviewed by blogs.

This will help you find out whether the developer can be trusted, and if the extension itself is safe to use or not.

You may also want to consider restricting yourself to open source extensions, as you can check the source code to see if it is clean. I also recommend checking the permissions that an add-on may request when you try to install it, as these could also be misused, for example, to redirect you to malware domains.

Note: There is an add-on called Bypass Paywalls, which is actually the original one. However, it uses Google analytics (in the Chrome version), you can verify that by checking its source code (Background.js mentions it). Bypass Paywalls Clean is a fork of it without the telemetry, hence the name "Clean".

Summary
Mozilla removes Bypass Paywalls Clean extension from its add-ons repository
Article Name
Mozilla removes Bypass Paywalls Clean extension from its add-ons repository
Description
The Bypass Paywalls Clean extension has been removed from the Mozilla add-ons repository. Here are some alternative ways to unblock paid articles for free.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. deadtree said on October 2, 2024 at 8:58 pm
    Reply

    Do you have to be logged in to Gitlab for it to work?
    I got the broken red chain link when i imported the url as instructed.

  2. Keygen said on February 29, 2024 at 11:28 am
    Reply

    In the last chrome and from Spain in Spanish websites, doesn’t work anymore:(

  3. Gianni said on January 12, 2024 at 3:17 pm
    Reply

    I’d like it if the USA would finally have a *sane* president who abolishes the reactionary DMCA and all the post-9/11 security theatre laws.

  4. Rob said on November 6, 2023 at 6:15 pm
    Reply

    Thank you for the tutorial. I added Ublock & BPC but it doesnt appear to work on the WSJ or Barrons. Any suggestions?

  5. Ann said on July 28, 2023 at 2:29 pm
    Reply

    @https://www.ghacks.net/author/ashwin/

    Nice article but You The title is a question (Why …. ?) But i’ve read the article Twice, just to be sure, and i could not find and suggestion of an answer.

    but great article non the less and to attend to a nice plugin/ method :)

  6. Squuiid said on May 29, 2023 at 12:12 am
    Reply

    Is there any way to add this list to PiHole, or pfBlockerNG?

  7. John said on May 14, 2023 at 2:06 pm
    Reply

    Seems to me that sites have a right to charge for accessing their content. Not everything is free or open source. Some people like to get paid for creating content. I personally think you have every right not to pay for content, but you don’t have a right to circumvent content that requires a fee. Stands to reason enough people try an end around the sites will fight back with legal action.

    1. guest201 said on November 6, 2023 at 8:01 am
      Reply

      I dispute your claim that I have a moral obligation to support a flawed business model (or a broken web site that publishes disinformation)

      1. guest202 said on November 24, 2023 at 8:46 pm
        Reply

        True. You don’t moral obligation to support a flawed business model. However, you also don’t have the right to steal from a business.

        If you feel a broken web site publishes disinformation, don’t go to that website. Why you would want to steal content from a disinformation website in the first place?

      2. zap said on May 5, 2024 at 6:13 am
        Reply

        Steal my foot, the problem IS THE TRACKING behind the ADS.

        If I use an adblocker, its to disable all the bullshit malware behind the ads, not the ads as a whole.

        I will never pay a paywall for two reasons:

        They will still expect me to disable my adblocker.
        They will still sell my information.

        The DCMA is a waste of space for this and other reasons.

        If our data wasn’t being sold, maybe I could see why DCMA exists to some extent.

        Beyond the insane contract lifespan of copyright which is 70 years + author’s life.

        But for those reasons, NO.

        Always fight ads until they realize that only ads that have no malicious functionality meaning DRM, surveilance, backdoors, are all that is ok.

        Everything else? Is a reason to block their bs.

        And to anyone who thinks I should take it up the ass, eff off.

  8. Norio said on May 3, 2023 at 8:58 pm
    Reply

    Thank you for the extremely useful information, Ashwin!

  9. RandomWallaby said on April 26, 2023 at 5:50 pm
    Reply

    If you’re too broke to pay for content, maybe find the content elsewhere? You’re not entitled to shit just because you “think it should be free”.

    1. basingstoke said on May 2, 2023 at 6:05 pm
      Reply

      People can do whatever they want, the kind of people interested in bypassing paywalls sure as hell wouldn’t give a damn about what you have to say LOL

      If a website hosting paid content is too stupid to secure it themselves, why should you go somewhere else, clearly the website is a fine source as any? Or would you suggest people go to dodgier websites?

  10. Arlyst said on April 25, 2023 at 7:13 pm
    Reply

    So something to bring up. They only.tell the developer that someone filed a fmca claim and they are legally obligated to take it down until s counter claim is filed and then if the other party proceeds more information would be known to the developers. Exposing the names of the dmca notice is not part of it and sadly dmca is used to abuse and troll often

    Mozilla do stated that they told them how to make s counter claim and really they could get it back up if they do that. This could be someone fishing to expose who they are sadly to potentially file a lawsuit.

  11. neocorteqz said on April 23, 2023 at 7:27 pm
    Reply

    Thanks for this, I never heard of this before this article.

  12. Hrakun said on April 22, 2023 at 1:55 am
    Reply

    The correct way is configure essential extensions in hardening mode for ff 112

  13. Tron said on April 21, 2023 at 5:51 am
    Reply

    Nope.. 3.0.5 did !

    Latest xpi version now -april 21- is 3.1.4.1 !

  14. verb said on April 21, 2023 at 5:06 am
    Reply

    I’ve been using BPClean since it forked off the original BP.
    And been using BPC from GitLab since FF decided to dump it.

    No drama, it (still) just works. Excellent, must-have add-on.

    The BPC adblock list has been ineffective on any paywalled site that I’ve ever tried it on, and is no substitute. I wouldn’t bother with it; just use the add-on.

  15. J Tripper said on April 21, 2023 at 3:41 am
    Reply

    I do not see a 3.5.0 version and the latest is here https://gitlab.com/magnolia1234/bypass-paywalls-firefox-clean/-/releases which is version 3.1.4.1

  16. Anonymous said on April 21, 2023 at 2:30 am
    Reply

    I tried the addition to uBlock Origin. It did not work.

    I tried to include the .xpi file in FF, so loading the extension outside the official FF-extension-store. It works very good. However I considered this as a security-risk, and decided not to continue with this.

    PS
    Do you remember the NanoDefender debacle (a uBlock Origin fork)? This also bypassed paywalls.
    The developer only mentioned on his own site that he sold the extension to unknown people, and did not actively mention/forward this to all his users. The unknown people seemed to have used the extension to gain user data. So the extension is a privacy/security breach.
    Unbelievably this extension is still in the FF privacy/security list !!
    So even from the official FF-extension-store you can not rely on secure extensions !!

    1. Jek they/them Porkins said on April 22, 2023 at 6:16 am
      Reply

      @Anonymous

      Quote: “Unbelievably this extension is still in the FF privacy/security list !!”

      The Nano Adblocker and Defender in the Mozilla store is not the same as the one in the Chrome store. It is a fork run by a different developer. See article linked below.

      https://www.ghacks.net/2020/10/16/time-to-remove-nano-adblocker-and-defender-from-your-browsers-except-firefox/

  17. Anonymous said on April 20, 2023 at 6:15 pm
    Reply

    I can’t believe that you people are seeking to deny Rupert Murdoch income.

    How else is he/Fox/News going to pay the Dominion settlement ?

  18. Tachy said on April 20, 2023 at 3:21 pm
    Reply

    FYI, you can ‘drag and drop’ xpi files onto the about:addons page to install.

    1. VioletMoon said on April 20, 2023 at 3:56 pm
      Reply

      And, I find it much easier to download the .xpi file to the Desktop and simply drag it onto the browser page–any page–no need to go to the about:addons.

      Version 3.5 does not exist–I don’t think.

  19. Anonymous said on April 20, 2023 at 1:47 pm
    Reply

    hmm, tried it and it has no use for me as it seems. the sites i tried it with, only were represented in same way in any of those mirror sites above used by the addon.
    -Archive.today
    -Google webcache
    -12ft.io

    so i guess unless someone with abo puts the webpages on one of the mirrors, no one will be able to depaywall it.
    (or im doing something wrong)

  20. John G. said on April 20, 2023 at 1:20 pm
    Reply

    I didn’t remember yet this useful article. Thanks again @Ashwin! :]

  21. Drew Peacock said on April 14, 2023 at 2:03 am
    Reply

    How do these paywalls work anyway? And how does Bypass Paywalls Clean (BPC) get round them so easily? I just tried BPC with the UK newspaper telegraph.co.uk using the uBlock Origin BPC filter list, which seemed to work after clicking on a few Telegraph articles. Well for now anyway until they cotton on and tighten things up.

    One thing I’ve never really understood though is sites that require you to just register to read their content. Not subscribe, just register. Surely they’re just selling my data to provide “free” access to their content? That said, even paid services could do the same thing too I’d have thought, which would be a double piss-take if that’s the case.

    I don’t object to paying for services in principle (I’m subscribed to Netflix and Spotify for example specificially because of the lack of ads), but what I WOULD object to is subscribing to a service and STILL being presented with ads (which in addition to being annoying also present a potential malware risk) and/or my data still being sold despite paying for a service.

  22. Wynn said on April 10, 2023 at 2:34 pm
    Reply

    https://12ft.io/ is also an option

    1. smaragdus said on April 20, 2023 at 1:30 pm
      Reply

      @Wynn

      12ft Ladder is an excellent website but it seems that not so many people know about it. Another option to bypass paywalls without using extensions, scripts and filter lists is to use archiving websites like The Internet Archive and Archive.is as most of the paywalled materials have usually been saved by benevolent and responsible users.

  23. Klaas Vaak said on April 8, 2023 at 8:34 am
    Reply

    Excellent article, Ashwin, and thanks for the heads up about the telemetry of the original Bypass Paywalls. I had it installed, found it not to be working well but was not aware of the telemetry. Uninstalled it and added the script to ViolentMonkey.

  24. giusi said on March 27, 2023 at 12:23 am
    Reply

    no way to bypass paywalls of repubblica.it…:(
    has anyone tried..??
    if succeded pls report here the solution/trick…thxs so much in adv

  25. SH said on March 12, 2023 at 7:38 pm
    Reply

    How to add a custom site to the filter list as I had done on the Bypass Payrolls clean extension, and it worked. But if only relying on the filter list added to Ublock, it doesn’t.

    Would like to add AZCentral to the bypass paywall list for ublock as I had done for the original as:

    {“AZ Central”:{“domain”:”azcentral.com”,”block_javascript”:1,”block_javascript_ext”:1,”amp_unhide”:1,”useragent”:”googlebot”}}

  26. Tron said on February 22, 2023 at 6:18 am
    Reply

    Don’t Panic!

    For firefox>

    BPC is working perfect if you download the xpi version..

    I did that with version 3.0.5.0 and a week later got in firefox a nw version !

    ( 3 bars menu.. extensions searching for updates )
    and now on 3.0.6.0 !

  27. Kulito Sakallama said on February 17, 2023 at 8:03 pm
    Reply

    If you want to use it with Violent Monkey, here is the link (https://gitlab.com/magnolia1234/bypass-paywalls-clean-filters)

  28. Ganon said on February 15, 2023 at 6:28 pm
    Reply

    Can you sideload the xpi in Nightly android? Beacuse in the beta or stable you can’t. Thanks

  29. Ganon said on February 15, 2023 at 6:18 pm
    Reply

    Thx, but In Ublock, BPC is very unreliable.Works on random sites, and when it does, it blocks images also on random sites. It’s touch and go. Definitely, not a replacement for the add-on, just a halfhearted alternative.

  30. Norman said on February 15, 2023 at 5:07 pm
    Reply

    I followed the instuctions above, but it is not working for me. Thoughts?

  31. Mystique said on February 15, 2023 at 7:18 am
    Reply

    The question is where does it end and what will be next? Adblocking, Video downloads, script management, cookie blocking?

    The point I am making is its a slippery slope and I think people are being a little dramatic with their analogy. We aren’t talking about drugs here.

    1. just an Ed said on February 15, 2023 at 2:38 pm
      Reply

      Valid question; but… As regards ad and cookie blocking you are actually refusing to accept something, rather than violating a copyright. In that respect such things as adblockers should be alright legally. As regards video downloads, that would be a gray area. I suspect it would ultimately be up to the site and content creator. A general rule of thumb might be you (should) have control of what’s allowed on your system, while the content creator would have the right to decide the terms upon which you access said content.
      One observation I would make is that Pirate Bay will always exist in some shape or form as long as cost is more of a problem than are attempts to pirate.

      1. Passbycrocodile said on February 23, 2023 at 3:11 pm
        Reply

        >As regards ad and cookie blocking you are actually refusing to accept something
        Like, well, refusing to accept a paywall that covers the text of an article and is no different than an ad banner doing the same thing?

        >In that respect such things as adblockers should be alright legally
        Actually, no. You’re also modifying the page to look at it without something in your way. And the fact that you personally distinguish between a banner and a paywall doesn’t legally change anything.

  32. Frank Lee said on February 15, 2023 at 3:51 am
    Reply

    Or you could, you know, actually pay for the content you enjoy reading?

    1. Anonymous said on April 26, 2023 at 1:50 pm
      Reply

      Yeah for a just one article you read you know

    2. walkbycrocodile said on February 23, 2023 at 3:03 pm
      Reply

      Yeah, sure. But first, I’d like to see a guarantee and an exact timeframe in which I’ll get my refund (full money-back, including costs and transfer fees) if the content I unlocked doesn’t turn out to be an enjoyable read.

    3. Anonymous said on February 17, 2023 at 2:33 pm
      Reply

      Sure, let me pay to open 1 article. Not a bloody subscription of the whole site!

      1. Jody Thornton said on April 23, 2023 at 3:07 pm
        Reply

        But wait – you bought a whole newspaper in the pre-Internet days. How is journalism supposed to sustain itself? I think we (and that includes me who ad-blocks) have become entitled as to what we believe we should have free access to.

  33. Mannie said on February 14, 2023 at 9:07 pm
    Reply

    The article mentions it can be used in Adblock Plus, but when I tried to add the url, I got the message “not a valid filter list”.

  34. Kraven Darklore said on February 14, 2023 at 7:33 pm
    Reply

    It’s pretty clear why Mozilla removed it. It’s enables the infringement of copyrighted materials in exactly the same way torrent sites did, and got busted for.

    Even though the torrents themselves were not the copywritten material, they facilitated the act of copyright infringement.

    This is exactly what Mozilla would have had to deal with too. The addon itself did not contain any of the copywritten materials, but it’s use, and Mozilla distributing it, is facilitating copyright infringement, explaining exactly why they took it down.

    Would you let a crack dealer sell cocaine out of your living room? I mean.. You’re not the one selling it.. You’re just facilitating it.

    1. Honorius said on February 16, 2023 at 8:24 am
      Reply

      But Firefox itself is a tool for copyright infringement: it has features for downloading images, text and other files, and even saving pages in their entirety. And those Internet’s files/images/text pages are most often protected by copyright (except in the relatively few cases when the content is posted under a free license and this is explicitly stated on the site (but even that could be a lie)).
      So this is an entirely false and manipulative argument.

    2. Joe said on February 15, 2023 at 1:09 am
      Reply

      For this line of reasoning they should remove extension that allow extensions videos as well, since downloading violates their terms of service and the law. Also, a better analogy would be: “would you allow a someone to sell crack pipe on your living room”.

  35. Pula Calului said on February 14, 2023 at 3:18 pm
    Reply

    There is a typo in the article. The newest version is 3.0.5.0, not 3.5.

    1. J Trippper said on April 21, 2023 at 3:50 am
      Reply
  36. Mystique_r4 said on February 14, 2023 at 2:09 pm
    Reply

    rogue*

    I wonder what else will get blocked next. I would say that this creates a precedent for many other players to pull the same stunt. Stay tuned for more soon.

  37. Mystique said on February 14, 2023 at 9:23 am
    Reply

    What we need is an extension that will work as a third party updater to handle each of these extensions and notify us of updates and/or handle the updates automatically from sites like github and gitlab.

    Maybe if one of the firefox fork’s make some changes to the way the addon manager works they can bake it into the official addons manager. Of course you would have to agree to trust the developer yourself but that is at your discretion.

    Everything comes with a risk. I have downloaded and paid for software but there is nothing stopping that developer or developers from going rouge either so be mindful of that. I accept that risk and try to be as diligent as I can but at the end of the day one has to put some trust into the developers too.

  38. plusminus_ said on February 14, 2023 at 4:58 am
    Reply

    I’ll try the userscript in Iceraven, thanks for the heads up ^.~

  39. Sophia said on February 14, 2023 at 3:31 am
    Reply

    Working for me. Thank you, Ashwin!

  40. Anonymous said on February 13, 2023 at 10:56 pm
    Reply

    Thank you. I installed it now.

  41. Clairvaux said on February 13, 2023 at 9:05 pm
    Reply

    It does not seem to be in the Chrome store, either.

  42. Milind said on February 13, 2023 at 8:31 pm
    Reply

    Can the list work on FF for Android?

    1. pd said on February 14, 2023 at 12:06 pm
      Reply

      I just imported the list into unlock origin installed into FF Android 68.11.0 and it seems most of the rules were accepted.

      However, I’m running FF 68.11.0 which is the last version before Mozilla re wrote much of it, interface wise, at least.

      I cannot yet attest to whether the rukes work though because I don’t come across paywalls much. But it’s nice to know that if I do, might not even notice ?

      Hopefully works for you.

      1. Ganon said on February 15, 2023 at 6:26 pm
        Reply

        It’s very unreliable in Ublock.

  43. Brobeans said on February 13, 2023 at 7:13 pm
    Reply

    Thank you for the detailed information and guide with screenshot Ashwin. Very helpful!

  44. Gary2Ride4ever said on February 13, 2023 at 6:47 pm
    Reply

    I am in the process of getting my life insurance back to myself. If you are working with me I would greatly appreciate you help getting this to work. I have no service and it is not due to my dismay. Make things happen for me today.

  45. anonymous said on February 13, 2023 at 6:25 pm
    Reply

    The author got a DMCA (https://gitlab.com/magnolia1234/bypass-paywalls-firefox-clean/-/issues/905#note_1276138260) and so lied about the real reason their addon got takedown simply to create bad press against Mozilla. Pretty childish…

    1. alex said on February 13, 2023 at 7:47 pm
      Reply

      Do consider that the first message was 3 days ago and the secondsecond, clarifying one was 6 hours ago? Maybe the notice was late? Don’t jump to conclusions..

    2. Dan Killam said on February 13, 2023 at 6:50 pm
      Reply

      They didn’t necessarily lie, if the DMCA notice came after Mozilla pulled it down.

  46. Yamen said on February 13, 2023 at 5:37 pm
    Reply

    Informative article but I don’t agree with your statement:
    “I use the add-on frequently to research stuff, learn new things. This is how the internet should be, free for everyone, without censorship and restrictions.”
    What gives you the right to decide on behalf of others how the internet should be and to force the information owner to give them for free? Everyone prefer having open unrestricted access to all information in the world but this doesn’t give you the right to just go ahead and grab what you want in an illegal manner.

    1. Strephon Alkhalikoi said on February 14, 2023 at 12:36 pm
      Reply

      I wasn’t aware that the author had the power to decide for all of us what should be and what should not be free on the Internet. Last I checked, that was solely the province of each individual. Based on your comments, I’ll take it as a given you believe ad blocking to be wrong too?

      Clearly, the author’s statement has struck a nerve if you are this upset over it. Wonder why that is?

  47. Tommy said on February 13, 2023 at 5:33 pm
    Reply

    Mozilla also threatened to delist my extension within 10 days, but at least I got a warning. I asked them if there was a policy change because my extension has been listed since XUL days without any issues, but no reply. They need to improve their developer outreach department.

    1. Mystique said on February 14, 2023 at 9:13 am
      Reply

      May I know what your extension is?

  48. foghorn leghorn said on February 13, 2023 at 4:46 pm
    Reply

    The primary reason I don’t use FF very much is because of the telemetry.
    When I test FF on EFF’s Cover Your Tracks the browser has a unique fingerprint.
    Brave is randomized :D and gets better all of the time compared to FF.
    Thanks for the setting in uBlock

    1. Anonifacts said on June 18, 2023 at 7:25 am
      Reply

      Brave uses your PC as a cryptominer. That’s how their free product makes them money

    2. homer said on April 20, 2023 at 1:37 pm
      Reply

      Unff, st00pid Brave spammers everywhere.

      1. Alexandra said on April 20, 2023 at 3:39 pm
        Reply

        Like the Firefox one who do the same on Brave news ?

  49. Tony said on February 13, 2023 at 3:39 pm
    Reply

    If a site has a paywall to read an article, I just go to another site. If the news is important enough, it is almost always on more than one site, and one of them usually doesn’t have a paywall.

    1. Arlyst said on April 25, 2023 at 7:33 pm
      Reply

      Same honestly. It could be that these guys ran afoul of some people and the takedown notice could be a result of a lawsuit coming up.

  50. BillD said on February 13, 2023 at 3:35 pm
    Reply

    Here’s the discussion on git: https://gitlab.com/magnolia1234/bypass-paywalls-firefox-clean/-/issues/905

    The developer mentions in a couple places that the xpi IS still signed, just not listed in addons.mozilla.org.

    Based on the link below, it sounds like an xpi wouldn’t even be installable in regular Firefox releases unless it was signed. But once signed, you can choose whether to distribute it yourself or via addons.mozilla.org.
    https://extensionworkshop.com/documentation/publish/signing-and-distribution-overview/

  51. anona said on February 13, 2023 at 12:36 pm
    Reply

    So annoying.
    Funnily enough, the Edge addon store still has “extreme paywall bypasser”!

  52. Markus said on February 13, 2023 at 11:25 am
    Reply

    The uBlock filterlist is not working. Tested on different sites. And yes I reloaded the filters and applied.

    1. Norio said on April 29, 2023 at 8:04 pm
      Reply

      Performance is also uneven here, on a desktop using Firefox 109.0.1, Windows 10 1909, and UBlock Origin 1.46.1, using list downloaded yesterday from https://gitlab.com/magnolia1234/bypass-paywalls-clean-filters/-/raw/main/bpc-paywall-filter.txt.

      I disabled the filter in uBlock and downloaded the extension from Gitlabs and manually installed it, per Ashwin’s instructions, and it is now working very well.

      1. Norio said on April 29, 2023 at 8:10 pm
        Reply

        Forgot to mention that the extension seems not to work for The Times (www.thetimes.co.uk or thesundaytimes.co.uk).

    2. Steve said on February 13, 2023 at 1:12 pm
      Reply

      @Markus

      Yeah, same here. I switched using the Violentmonkey script, it works just fine.

      1. Ganon said on February 15, 2023 at 6:23 pm
        Reply

        Yeah in Ublock, it misses many sites, no good really. I tried it with Violentmonkey, but couldn’t get it to work. Can you please explain how? Thx

  53. basingstoke said on February 13, 2023 at 10:38 am
    Reply

    Can you get 3rd party add ons, not from the firefox store, and add them into your browser? if not, then firefox kinda sucks balls

    1. Alexandra said on April 20, 2023 at 3:38 pm
      Reply

      Actually on Brave they have added the list in the optional filter you can enable at the end.

    2. Dan Killam said on February 13, 2023 at 6:49 pm
      Reply

      Only for desktop, unfortunately not for Android except the Nightly version, which many people don’t want to use as it’s sometimes unstable

      1. guest425 said on November 6, 2023 at 8:26 am
        Reply

        Only for desktop, unfortunately not for Android except the Nightly version

        Now enabled in stable branch — just add the list as a custom filter in Brave Shields
        https://gitlab.com/magnolia1234/bypass-paywalls-clean-filters/-/raw/main/bpc-paywall-filter.txt

      2. Anonymous said on March 10, 2023 at 2:35 am
        Reply

        It’s works on Android

        Install Kiwi Browser from the Google PlayStore

        and you have two options:

        load the CRX-file in releases

        or

        install latest master zip-file

        see on : https://gitlab.com/magnolia1234/bypass-paywalls-chrome-clean

      3. Shub said on April 9, 2023 at 11:42 am
        Reply

        Thanks

    3. dexter said on February 13, 2023 at 1:03 pm
      Reply

      Sure. But they have to be signed.

    4. Anonymous said on February 13, 2023 at 12:48 pm
      Reply

      addons can be ofc installed when you have them as file (.xpi extension), or load them from their own (home)page.

      1. Foufoutos said on February 16, 2023 at 1:58 pm
        Reply

        Yes for desktop

      2. Navalny said on February 20, 2023 at 8:27 am
        Reply

        For Android, Smart Cookie Web Preview browser, Firefox derivative, allows extension sideloading
        https://github.com/CookieJarApps/SmartCookieWeb-Preview/releases

  54. White said on February 13, 2023 at 9:40 am
    Reply

    Wow! I never knew about this. Installing now.

    1. Flotsam said on February 13, 2023 at 1:31 pm
      Reply

      Nice to see you here, Ms Streisand.

  55. Purgatoria said on February 13, 2023 at 8:12 am
    Reply

    There goes my last reason to use Firefox. Its one remaining advantage was that its add-on store wasn’t as heavily policed as Google’s and Apple’s stores.

    1. Firefoxer said on April 24, 2023 at 7:41 pm
      Reply

      You can just add it to uBlock Origin like instructed above. Takes two seconds and works like a charm.

    2. LOL said on April 20, 2023 at 11:23 pm
      Reply

      Oh, noes! We cannot lose you now! Without you the Firefox users go into the single digit.

      1. fudgethermometer said on April 21, 2023 at 5:05 am
        Reply

        I know, right. Just filled with a cesspool of circlejerk on “Firefox bad, Chrome good” on ghacks. Gotten worse after its acquisition.

      2. Hitomi said on April 21, 2023 at 11:08 am
        Reply

        Any community that gets its laughs by pretending to be clowns will eventually be flooded by actual clowns who mistakenly believe that they’re in good company.

  56. boris said on February 13, 2023 at 7:26 am
    Reply

    Nice to know. Just installed it.

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