Adobe to Remove Flash Download Links, Recommends People Uninstall It Now – HOTforSecurity

Adobe is taking further steps in its Flash-dismantling process scheduled to take place by the end of 2020, and said users should uninstall it long before the end-of-life date.

Removing Flash from online content is a long and complicated process that has taken years, but the end is finally approaching for this piece of software. It’s been a cornerstone for websites for so many years, but that journey will be over at the end of 2020.

The implementation of HTML5, WebGL, and WebAssembly made Flash obsolete, but it was so widespread that pulling the plug quickly would have been impossible. The official announcement came way back in July 2017, and you can still find Flash-powered websites today. It’s very likely that some websites will continue to use Flash after the December 31 deadline, but browsers won’t allow users to view them.

Adobe added some information to the Flash Player EOL information page, letting people know what exactly will happen after the EOL date.

“Adobe will be removing Flash Player download pages from its site and Flash-based content will be blocked from running in Adobe Flash Player after the EOL Date,” reads the website.

“We recommend that all users uninstall Flash Player before the EOL. Users will be prompted by Adobe to uninstall Flash Player on their machines later this year and Flash-based content will be blocked from running in Adobe Flash Player after the EOL Date.”

Even with all the warnings, many users will likely continue to keep Flash and its components installed for a long time, leaving them open to possible exploits. Hopefully, developers and webmasters will migrate their content, hastening the end of Flash and its glorious era.