Companies now block older browser versions from accessing their websites!

4 months ago by MadeInDex 📰🌎 to c/browsers

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/47871545

🌐 Many companies now block older browser versions from accessing their websites!

This follows many browser makers ending updates 4 older operating systems, leaving legacy devices unable to use web services without an OS upgrade.

This kinda reminds me of the Java website block by browsers a few years ago, just in reverse. (Revenge? ;)

Old Android versions are also increasingly blocked from accessing the Google appstore.

Truly about security or perhaps Planned Obsolescence?

Update: "old devices can only use old os > old os can only use old browser > old browser cannot use web> poor uneducated people = screwed once again!"

"Only suggesting corporate browsers, kinda like an ad."

Bubs 9 points 4 months ago

If some crappy website gives me this, then I'm never visiting them again. Good riddance.

Also, it's probably super easy to trick the sites given how you can change your browser's fingerprint (or whatever it's called).

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Janx 8 points 4 months ago

"User agent". Firefox has an extension that can spoof different browsers/OSs with just a tap. It's actually really useful for sites that don't work correctly, or you want to bypass annoying restrictions.

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Bubs 4 points 4 months ago

Pretty much exactly what I was thinking.

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can 7 points 4 months ago

your browser's fingerprint (or whatever it's called).

User Agent?

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Bubs 4 points 4 months ago

Yeah, that's the one

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madeindex 1 point 4 months ago

Yeah my thoughts exactly - it's called user agent string I think :)

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gankouskhan 5 points 4 months ago

Dev here, there are actual reasons to do this beyond control. It's a small percentage of the overall population of users who require old browsers. Financially not worth the dev time, and most especially maintenance time for fallback behaviors. Over time there are upgrades and new features added to the browser and to the rendering engines that make our lives much easier or add much desired functionality for users. Users on old browsers may not have these and bringing that functionality is either impossible or cost far exceeds that which is pulled in from the the few.

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madeindex 2 points 4 months ago

Yes that is true, however a warning "use at your own risk" would suffice rather than "you can not use the web anymore, upgrade to a major corp browser to use"

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VeganCheesecake 1 point 4 months ago

It's not that, though. It's 'use the current version of the browser you're already using'. Unless you're on, like, original edge, or Netscape Navigator, or smth else crazy. Sorry to say, but purposefully using a very put of date browser is a stupid idea in most cases.

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VeganCheesecake 4 points 4 months ago

User agent based blocking is stupid, but also, you should really, really keep your browser up to date.

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