Is this project dead?

[arcticpelago]

Hello all!

I have been using the snowhaze browser for a while and have been loving it! I just noticed that there hasn't been any changes to it in 8+ months. If the project is dead, is it still safe to use? Are there any vulnerabilities on the browser that haven't been patched?

Thanks!

[twizzayy]

Uh oh…

The last release in the App store (version 3.4) was about 3 months ago. There appears to have been no commits to this repo in that time… This repo also does not track releases… Before that, the last release was a year ago.

It appears that it is still being developed (somewhat). But maybe not through this repo?

They also appear to have spiteful feelings about GPL. So, perhaps snow haze has had a change of heart about FOSS?

[twizzayy]

I reached out to Yvan via email and he sent me this:

Hi,

Thank you for your message. Yes, SnowHaze is still being developed and maintained.

The updates are less frequent, however, we keep the features up to date.

We will try to add the latest version to Github. Please excuse the delay.

Let me know if I can help with anything else.

Best regards,

Yvan

[TheoreticalThreat]

Considering the last commit here is 3 years ago, and the last SnowHaze update was 8 months ago, they clearly do not care to continue to "push versions to this repository that have made it through Apple's review process and will be released," which is stated in the README.

It also states, "The main purpose of this repository is to allow everybody to check SnowHaze's source code. This helps to find bugs easier and everybody can be assured that only best practices are used." So, they don't truly care about finding bugs and assuring users that best practices are in use anymore, either.

This is all concerning for a browser "designed for best possible privacy and security," though perhaps most concerning from a transparency standpoint. Speaking of which, SnowHaze's content blocking lists are in an encrypted database "due to binding contracts," rather than being publicly available.

It was nice while it lasted, and I appreciate the creation of this browser with all of it's privacy and security options, and it being written almost entirely in Swift.

I suggest Safari + AdGuard Pro, or Brave, for the most comprehensive blocking.