Google’s purge of Manifest v2-based extensions from its Chrome browser is underway, as many users over the past few days may have noticed.
Popular content-blocking add-on (v2-based) uBlock Origin is now automatically disabled for many in the ubiquitous browser as it continues the V3 rollout.
[…]
According to the company, Google’s decision to shift to V3 is all in the name of improving its browser’s security, privacy, and performance. However, the transition to the new specification also means that some extensions will struggle due to limitations in the new API.
In September 2024, the team behind uBlock Origin noted that one of the most significant changes was around the
webRequestAPI, used to intercept and modify network requests. Extensions such as uBlock Origin extensively use the API to block unwanted content before it loads.[…]
Ad-blockers and privacy tools are the worst hit by the changes, and affected users – because let’s face it, most Chrome users won’t be using an ad-blocker – can switch to an alternative browser for something like the original experience, or they can switch to a different extension which is unlikely to have the same capabilities.
In its post, uBlock recommends a move to Firefox and use of the extension uBlock Origin, a switch to a browser that will support Manifest v2
[…]
Source: Google continues pulling the plug on Manifest v2 • The Register
Robin Edgar
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