RE: Are cryptojackers mining Monero on your computer as you read this?

I can comment on this because I have received a response from the Brave team on this subject because I create ethical browser miner plugins (user consent, control, and rewards).

I noticed in development testing that while Brave did not block the miner, it only worked in the active tab. This behavior seems to only be in Brave while Firefox and Chrome had uBlock (which did not block it and did not change CPU if switched tab).

I asked the Brave team what is going on and if there was a way to disable it if my users wanted to mine while in different tabs to get the site rewards (as its a rewards plugin, users can use it to earn points which they can use for WooCommerce credit on the WordPress store and you earn points based on how many hashes you mined).

Brave responded they already had this conversation with Salon (who is one of the few sites that does legit browser mining... despite the fact they use Coinhive which even as a browser miner developer, I frown on) and that what is happening is that WASM (the Javascript compiler) only works in the active tab. This also prevents shady stuff going on like auto playing audio and video ads from happening while you are not on that tab which saves resources as well.

The simple solution they explained was to just have the user hit CTRL+N and open in a new window.

Problem solved.

Given that I know that Adblockers can't block non-centralized browser miner, if you are concerned, just install Brave.

I'd recommend install it anyways because you don't have to install uBlock on guest profiles and all the other nice privacy features not even related to this small but major design decision.

And there is no need to install extensions.

BTW, unless you totally disable WASM, which will break every page out there including Steemit that you browse on... There is not way to disable all unknown locally hosted browser miners.

You can scan for the word miner... And block known addresses like Authed mine, but just install Brave.

On an aside... Just like email and video ads... The mining itself is not malware, but the deployment method.

I mean I hate email spam as much as anyone, but we shouldn't ban email just because someone spams are inbox without permission. Make it illegal or ad fines for spam and mining without consent, but browser mining is an interesting technology once you think about it as far as demonetization goes.

The best example I can give is UNICEF's Austrailia's Page

https://www.thehopepage.org/

Currently, 27,000 people are donating computer hashes to the character. Even if its not as donating fiat or crypto itself, it allows people that are "wealth poor" but "computer resource rich" to give.

Also for my own stuff... I help with rewards sites with low cost items like CS:Go skins etc which you can award people points for mining. Gamers with little or not income (say high school and college students) can micro mine for these rewards. Since it basically deploying js files which the site is anyways, it literally costs nothing (or at least the same as hosting ads) to have users do this.

So there is a place for browser mining... It's just like 2008 where people would use malware to deploy pop up ads. Yes, we need to get rid of pop up ads (and maybe even ads in general) but don't throw out browser mining with the bath water.

It's helping UNICEF*

*When I saw there site last year, I thought it might actually be a scam, but I looked it up and turns out that site is really run by UNICEF Australia and the crypto mined goes to the needy in SE Asia.

PS Install Brave