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Google Chrome has started phasing out uBlock Origin, a popular ad-blocking extension. This development comes as part of Chrome’s migration to Manifest V3, a new extension specification designed to offer tighter security but with major implications for the functionality of some ad blockers.
Raymond Hill, the developer behind uBlock Origin, recently shared a screenshot showing Chrome automatically disabling it, stating that the extension is “no longer supported,” notes The Verge. This marks the beginning of Chrome’s broader transition to Manifest V3, which is set to impact various extensions that rely on the previous Manifest V2 framework.
To cope with the changes brought by Manifest V3, Hill has launched a new version of the ad blocker, uBlock Origin Lite (uBOL). This version is specifically built for Manifest V3, but it isn’t a direct upgrade from the original extension.
Hill explained that uBlock Origin Lite requires manual installation, as it’s “too different from uBO to be an automatic replacement.”
The difference between the two versions lies in their core functionality. While uBlock Origin Lite adheres to the Manifest V3 specification, it has more limited filtering capabilities than its predecessor. Manifest V3 introduces new restrictions, especially on how extensions can filter web content, making uBlock Origin Lite less robust than the original.
For those unfamiliar, a ‘Manifest’ is a file that provides key information to a web browser about an extension, such as its name, permissions, and the versions of browsers it can run on. Over time, new versions of the manifest are introduced, and they change the functionality and scope of extensions.
Manifest V3, for example, now prohibits extensions from loading code from remote servers, adding a security layer and restricting some of the techniques used by ad blockers.
One of the biggest changes affecting ad blockers like uBlock Origin is the restriction on the ‘Declarative Net Request (DNR) API,’ which ad blockers use to filter content. Under Manifest V3, extensions have fewer options for applying complex filters, which may reduce their effectiveness in blocking ads or bypassing anti-ad-blocking measures used by certain websites.
Hill explained the reduced performance: “In general, uBOL will be less effective at dealing with websites using anti-content blockers or minimising website breakage because many filters can’t be converted into DNR rules.”
In a statement to The Verge, Google spokesperson Scott Westover highlighted that over 93% of the actively maintained extensions on the Chrome Web Store have already adopted Manifest V3. He added that popular content filtering tools, including AdBlock, AdBlock Plus, uBlock Origin, and AdGuard, now have Manifest V3-compatible versions available for users.
A few months back, YouTube began blocking accounts that used third-party ad-blocking applications to boost the company’s revenues. Users also reported that adblockers are making YouTube videos skip to the end.
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