Google is removing an extension used by 40 million people

Google Chrome has begun phasing out uBlock Origin. Raymond Hill, the developer of the free ad blocker, recently reposted a screenshot showing that Chrome has automatically disabled uBlock Origin because it is "no longer supported."

GOOGLE SWITCHED TO MANIFEST V3, UBLOCK AFFECTED

According to a report by The Verge, this comes as Google Chrome transitions to Manifest V3, a new extension specification that could affect the effectiveness of some ad blockers. In response to the transition, uBlock Origin launched uBlock Origin Lite, which uses Manifest V3; however, according to Hill, users need to install the extension manually because it is "very different from uBO to be an automatic replacement."

Hill says that depending on the websites you visit and the extension's configuration, you may notice a difference when using uBlock Origin Lite compared to uBlock Origin. This is because uBlock Origin Lite has more limited filtering capabilities than uBlock Origin.

This is because the Manifest V3 specification imposes restrictions on the Declarative Net Request API used by ad-blocking extensions.

93 PERCENT OF EXTENSIONS ARE COMPLIANT WITH MANIFEST V3

Google spokesperson Scott Westover told The Verge that more than 93 percent of "actively maintained" extensions in the Chrome Web Store use Manifest V3. Westover stated, "All of the top content filtering extensions have Manifest V3 versions available — with options for AdBlock, Adblock Plus, uBlock Origin, and AdGuard users."

As Google aims to release the full version of Manifest V3 in early 2025, the company announced that it would begin disabling Manifest V2 extensions later this year before phasing them out completely.

News Source: 12punto