Do you still use Flash Player? Data Horde is conducting a survey to see how frequently people continue to use Flash Player even at the very end of its lifespan. It would mean a lot to us if you could spare 5-10 minutes to complete a very short survey.
Adobe is retiring Flash Player at the end of December, as you have likely heard. That means ending updates, ending support and unusually removing any and all downloads. What might be news to some readers is that recent updates have introduced a killswitch into Flash Player, which will be used to disable any Flash Player you may have installed prior to the End-Of-Life Date.
Adobe has updated their information page recently, announcing a grace period before the killswitch activates. While the removal of downloads and other End-Of-Life decisions will come into effect on January 1, the killswitch which will block any further use of Flash Player won’t activate until January 12.
Adobe has cited “helping secure users’ systems” as their reasoning:
Why is Adobe blocking Flash content from running in Flash Player beginning January 12, 2021?
Since Adobe is no longer supporting Flash Player after the EOL Date, Adobe will block Flash content from running in Flash Player beginning January 12, 2021 to help secure users’ systems. Flash Player may remain on the user’s system unless the user uninstalls it.
The EOL info page now also keeps track of browsers as they begin dropping Flash Player support, starting with Apple’s Safari.
While it is still disheartening to see that Adobe is determined to kill Flash Player at all costs, it is at least worth appreciating their attempts in making the process more transparent, thus allowing people to adapt accordingly. Here’s hoping the Flashpoint team will make the most out of this bonus time.
Are you adversely affected by the end of Flash Player? Be sure to check out the Flash Player Emergency Kit for useful resources!
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