Google Chrome begins phasing out ad blocker 'uBlock Origin'



As Google transitions Chrome extensions to the new

Manifest V3 specification, uBlock Origin and other extensions that were only available in the old Manifest V2 specification are now showing warnings that they will no longer be usable . Finally, uBlock Origin has been phased out and removed from Chrome.

Google Chrome's uBlock Origin phaseout has begun - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/15/24270981/google-chrome-ublock-origin-phaseout-manifest-v3-ad-blocker



As part of the transition to Manifest V3, Chrome will automatically remove the uBlock Origin extension because it does not support Manifest V3. Developer Raymond Hill also posted on X (formerly Twitter) that uBlock Origin has begun to be removed from Chrome, saying, 'Deprecating uBlock Origin from the Chrome Web Store has begun.'




Hill has released uBlock Origin Lite as a new ad blocker that supports Manifest V3. According to the FAQ in the uBlock Origin GitHub repository , uBlock Origin Lite is 'significantly different from uBlock Origin and cannot be automatically replaced, so it must be installed manually.'

uBlock Origin Lite can be installed from the link below.

uBlock Origin Lite - Chrome Web Store



According to Hill, Manifest V3 restricts the Declarative Net Request API used by ad blockers, so uBlock Origin Lite's filtering capabilities are more limited than uBlock Origin, and there are differences between uBlock Origin and uBlock Origin Lite.

Regarding uBlock Origin Lite, Hill explained, 'In general, uBlock Origin Lite is less effective at dealing with websites that use anti-content blockers or minimizing website breakage because many filters cannot be converted into Declarative Net Request API tools.'

'The Chrome Web Store is actively maintained, with over 93% of extensions using Manifest V3. All major content filtering extensions have Manifest V3 versions available, as well as options for AdBlock, Adblock Plus, uBlock Origin, and AdGuard users,' Google spokesman Scott Westover told The Verge.



Google aims to fully deploy Manifest V3 by early 2025, and will discontinue extensions using Manifest V2 in 2024 and disable Manifest V2 completely.

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in Software, Posted by logu_ii