Google Chrome to avoid using Flash

Google Chrome will soon be preferring to use other video playback methods, and will be asking users if they want to enable Flash when no other options are available. They will turn it on by default for YouTube, cause you know.

Via the BBC:

In a message posted on a Chromium-dev discussion forum, Anthony Laforge, Google's technical lead on Chrome, said internal metrics revealed the 10 chosen sites were the most popular Flash-using sites that users visited.

Mr Laforge said the changes would mean that on other sites Chrome would seek to use alternative technologies, such as HTML5, to play video. Where only Flash is available, browser users will be asked if they want to allow the software to run.

Chrome will remember which sites have permission to run Flash so users are not endlessly bothered with pop-ups.

Google said it was also working on ways to ensure that Flash still ran unimpeded when companies used it on internal networks.