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Comment by SirMaster | Hacker News Reader

If Zoom makes a chrome extension, then yes.

Will the Zoom extension also be installed by default?

Do you want every person in the world to run a line to your house, or do you want to have 1, and use that service to talk to them?

Except that is not what Google is doing. They have exclusive access to the one line that is preinstalled for all houses. Only they can use it. And if you want a different provider, you can't use that same line. You have to pay for the installation of a line from that provider with your own cash.

Huh, Chrome doesn't come preinstalled unless you are talking about ChromeOS.

I guess I just don't see the problem in a feature like this in a third party browser software that is completely optional to install and use and has lots of alternatives.

Yeah, so people with a choice of browsers might prefer it not be the one exposing exclusive APIs for its parent company, and it might affect that company's "we're not evil" image.

This also works on all chromium based browsers such as Edge, Vivaldi and Brave

Yes, and then I want them to be heavily regulated.

That is incorrect. Zoom would have to modify the browser source code to enable the API on their domain.

Beside the point, but I don't think Chrome extensions have access to those hardware details.

They do: https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/reference/api/p...

But yeah, having that build into your browser is a huge advantage over having to nag your users to install an extension or worse convincing the IT department that it's worth installing.

The special built-in API reveals system-wide CPU usage, not just for browser processes. Still surprised extensions can see browser processes though.

Edit: https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/reference/api/s... seems to provide that, though

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