Some users of uBlock Origin, one of the most popular Chrome extensions for blocking ads, have been told that it should be removed or replaced. Google is moving to a new MV3 platform, so only the «stripped-down» version will work.
Google is discontinuing support for Manifest v2 (MV2), its previous browser extension platform. It will be replaced by Manifest v3 (MV3), which prioritizes security and reliability over features. As of version 127, Google Chrome has started to selectively warn users of uBlock Origin and other MV2 extensions: «This extension may no longer be supported soon. Please uninstall or replace it with similar extensions from the Chrome Web Store». (The author of the Chrome 127 and uBlock Origin news has not yet received the warning, so it is difficult to verify).
However, there will be no alternative. Raymond Hill, the developer of uBlock Origin, writes that the popular Chrome extension will not have a version for MV3:
«The focus on reliability and efficiency in the MV3 environment has meant that many features have had to be sacrificed beyond those available within MV3».
The developer will offer a shortened version, uBlock Origin Lite, which makes «best efforts to convert the filter lists used by uBO in a way that is compatible with MV3».
The problem is that Chrome will no longer allow dynamic filtering and certain content blocking scenarios because extensions will not be able to perform long-term tasks in the background. Powerful MV2 permissions, such as the webRequest API, allow you to track and modify every network request. Many filtering capabilities cannot be ported to MV3.
«uBlock Origin Lite is too different from uBO to silently replace uBO — you will have to clearly choose which extension should replace uBO according to your own needs», — the developer writes.
Hill added that uBO development will continue for other browsers that do not stop supporting MV2, such as Firefox».
MV2 extensions will continue to work for some time. According to the MV2 support schedule provided by Google, these extensions have already lost their «Suggested» mark in the Chrome store and will be disabled «in the coming months». After that, «for a short time» users will be able to re-enable the Manifest V2 extensions, but eventually this toggle will also disappear, according to Google.
The company plans to complete the transition by early next year. Businesses that use ExtensionManifestV2Availability policies can continue to use MV2 extensions unchanged until June 2025. Earlier, the Cybernews website conducted an experiment that showed that it is possible to create malicious extensions even after switching to MV3.
Filtering ads and other content is an important cybersecurity feature that protects users from malicious advertising and tracking. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recommends using ad-blocking software because it also counteracts larger threats.
Source: uBlock Origin, Cybernews
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