Most web browsers are increasingly overloading their interfaces with functions that annoy many users. The “Just the Browser” project promises a technical solution that bans AI content, shopping functions and advertising.
The US journalist and programmer Corbin Davenport is behind the Just the Browser project. His tool allows web browsers without AI functions to occupy cursors or rearrange tabs in the background. Davenport therefore published specific group policies for three major browsers, along with detailed documentation.
The technical basis is formed by so-called on-board resources, which is why you don’t have to install any additional plug-ins or touch the source code of the programs. Since the core software remains unchanged, the browsers continue to receive all important security updates. As a rule, these automatic updates do not independently reactivate the unwanted functions.
Just install the browser
To install, copy a simple command into your computer’s command terminal, select the desired browser and confirm the process. If necessary, you can use the same shell command to remove the installed policies or restore them to their original state. After application, browsers such as Edge or Firefox display a notice that an organization manages the software.
However, this organization is you as a user of “Just the Browser”. The scripts support Windows systems in all common configurations. For Linux users, the tool so far covers distributions such as Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora and OpenSUSE.
For example, it is possible to successfully free the Firefox browser of AI ballast and advertising within a few seconds. The process hardly requires any manual steps. This saves time. It is important that the script changes both the standard instance and possible parallel installed versions of the browser.
Mobile browser limitations
At the same time, you should note that if you later undo the policies, some manually configured settings may disappear. Normal browser updates should not affect the guidelines set in everyday life. However, if browser publishers make fundamental changes that disrupt existing policies, you may need to re-run the script.
But there are also limitations. If you deactivate AI components, for example, you will also lose the internal translation function in Firefox. While support for Google Chrome specifically for Linux is still in the works, a mobile solution for Android is currently not available. In contrast, the GitHub repository already lists iOS for possible feature expansion.
The project also does not currently support browsers installed via Flatpak under Linux. Since the project is under the MIT license, the community is free to redistribute it and use it commercially. The goal always remains a browser that is simply just a browser.
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