Google pulls the plug on uBlock Origin, leaving over 30 million Chrome users susceptible to intrusive ads

Google ramps up its campaign against ad blockers on Chrome.

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What you need to know

What you need to know

Google’s campaign against ad blockersacross its services just got more aggressive. According to a report byPC World, the company has made some alterations to its extension support on Google Chrome.

Google Chrome recently changed its extension support from the Manifest V2 framework tothe new Manifest V3 framework. The browser policy changes will impact one of the most popular adblockers (arguably),uBlock Origin.

The transition to the Manifest V3 framework means extensions like uBlock Origin can’t use remotely hosted code. According to Google, it “presents security risks by allowing unreviewed code to be executed in extensions.” The new policy changes will only allow an extension to execute JavaScript as part of its package.

Over 30 millionGoogle Chromeusers use uBlock Origin, but the tool will be automatically disabled soon via an update. Google will let users enable the feature via the settings for a limited period before it’s completely scrapped. From this point, users will be forced to switch to another browser or choose another ad blocker.

A new version of uBlock Origin

A new version of uBlock Origin

The company has released a new version of the app that’s Manifest V3 compliant —uBlock Origin Lite. It’s worth noting that while the new app ships with similar features to the original version, including core ad-blocking features, it doesn’t support dynamic filters for blocking scriptlet injection. The Lite version’s capabilities are relatively limited due to its compliance with the Manifest V3 framework threshold.

According to uBlock Origin’s developer Raymond Hill

“I consider uBO Lite to be too different from uBO to be an automatic replacement. You will have to explicitly find a replacement to uBO according to what you expect from a content blocker. uBO Lite may or may not fulfill your expectations.”

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uBlock Origin will continue to work as usual across other browsers, includingMicrosoft Edge, Opera, and more.

Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You’ll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.