New browser extensions block Murdoch sites

In the wake of scandals involving media outfits owned by the Murdoch family, some web developers have made browser extensions that can alert users to - or even block - sites owned by the Murdoch clan. The "Murdoch Alert" extension for Mozilla's Firefox when they wander into one of the more than 100 websites controlled by the Murdoch family. "NewsCorp agents in multiple countries have been arrested for hacking into the phones and computers of at least thousands of innocent people. Since the Murdoch family controls 100+ high-traffic domains, it is difficult for average users to know which sites could potentially place them at risk," the developer said in its explanation of the extension. Also, the developer said MurdochAlert identifies the domains that may place users at risk for Murdoch-related hacking. The extension will show a bottom warning box whenever one visits a Murdoch-controlled site. A related extension —this time for Google's Chrome browser— is MurdochBlock, which blocks the sites outright. As of 6 a.m. Saturday (Manila time), the Chrome extension has had 1,884 users and 2,248 weekly installs. The description of the Chrome extension said it is capable of blocking websites owned and operated by Newscorp. It also hinted at an options page that can "customize" the list of sites to be blocked. "When the user opens a blocked site, a warning is displayed and the user is given an option to continue to the site," it said. "Install this app to if you feel strongly against Fox," it added. — TJD, GMA News