Google automatically disables uBlock Origin on Google Chrome: Difference between revisions
fixed all references formatting |
Added more clarity to the Manifest V3 (which is standard form) and MV3 (which is the shortened form that is consistently used in the rest of the article. Then some extra external and internal links for clarity and ease of study for a layman. Then I added a small portion in the consumer response section, citing EFF as the primary source. |
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On March 4, 2025, Google Chrome automatically disabled uBlock Origin, | On March 4, 2025, [https://consumerrights.wiki/Google_Chrome Google Chrome] automatically disabled [https://ublockorigin.com/ uBlock Origin], the most popular adblocker to date<ref>{{Cite web |title=Privacy & Security |url=https://chromewebstore.google.com/category/extensions/make_chrome_yours/privacy |url-status=live |access-date=16 Aug 2025 |website=Chrome Web Store}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=6,320 extensions found in Privacy & Security |url=https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/extensions/category/privacy-security/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Aug 2025 |website=addons.mozilla.org}}</ref>, for all users as part of shift to the [https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/develop/migrate/what-is-mv3 Manifest V3] version of Chrome. | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Released in 2014, uBlock Origin is a comprehensive adblocker that browser users may install as an extension to avoid advertisements while browsing the web. Given the ever present nature of advertisements on websites, uBlock Origin provides users with a faster and less obtrusive web browsing experience. | Released in 2014, uBlock Origin is a comprehensive adblocker that browser users may install as an extension to avoid advertisements while browsing the web. Given the ever present nature of advertisements on websites, uBlock Origin provides users with a faster and less obtrusive web browsing experience. | ||
In 2018, Google announced that it would begin a shift to a new version of Google Chrome extension manifest called Manifest | In 2018, Google announced that it would begin a shift to a new version of Google Chrome extension manifest called Manifest V3, or MV3 for short, "to create stronger security, privacy, and performance guarantees."<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 Oct 2018 |title=Trustworthy Chrome Extensions, by default |url=https://blog.chromium.org/2018/10/trustworthy-chrome-extensions-by-default.html |url-status=live |access-date=23 Mar 2025 |website=Chromium Blog}}</ref> In 2020, Google released a beta version of MV3,<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 Dec 2020 |title=Manifest V3 now available on M88 Beta |url=https://blog.chromium.org/2020/12/manifest-v3-now-available-on-m88-beta.html |url-status=live |access-date=23 Mar 2025 |website=Chromium Blog}}</ref> and by early 2022, Google Chrome disallowed users to release extensions on the [https://chromewebstore.google.com/ Chrome Web Store] that were only incompatible with MV3.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 Oct 2024 |title=Manifest V2 support timeline |url=https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/develop/migrate/mv2-deprecation-timeline |url-status=live |access-date=23 Mar 2025 |website=Chrome for Developers}}</ref> | ||
==[Incident]== | ==[Incident]== | ||
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==Consumer response== | ==Consumer response== | ||
{{Placeholder box|Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts.}} | {{Placeholder box|Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts.}} | ||
There are doubts that MV3 do much for the security, since "when a malicious extension sneaks through the security review process, it is usually interested in simply observing the conversation between your browser and whatever websites you visit"<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Barnett |first=Daly |date=9 December 2021 |title=Chrome Users Beware: Manifest V3 is Deceitful and Threatening |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/12/chrome-users-beware-manifest-v3-deceitful-and-threatening#MV3quotes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250727115638/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/12/chrome-users-beware-manifest-v3-deceitful-and-threatening#MV3quotes |archive-date=27 Jul 2025 |access-date=16 Aug 2025 |work=Electronic Frontier Foundation}}</ref>. And to quote Firefox’s Add-On Operations Manager: "they can still do that with the current webRequest API that is not blocking".<ref name=":0" /> | |||
Users can still browse the web without ads and with reduced tracking by switching to a browser which continues to support Manifest V2 and the full version of uBlock Origin, such as [https://www.getfirefox.com Mozilla Firefox] or the Chromium-based [https://brave.com/ Brave]. | Users can still browse the web without ads and with reduced tracking by switching to a browser which continues to support Manifest V2 and the full version of uBlock Origin, such as [https://www.getfirefox.com Mozilla Firefox] or the Chromium-based [https://brave.com/ Brave]. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
Revision as of 20:49, 16 August 2025
On March 4, 2025, Google Chrome automatically disabled uBlock Origin, the most popular adblocker to date[1][2], for all users as part of shift to the Manifest V3 version of Chrome.
Background
Released in 2014, uBlock Origin is a comprehensive adblocker that browser users may install as an extension to avoid advertisements while browsing the web. Given the ever present nature of advertisements on websites, uBlock Origin provides users with a faster and less obtrusive web browsing experience.
In 2018, Google announced that it would begin a shift to a new version of Google Chrome extension manifest called Manifest V3, or MV3 for short, "to create stronger security, privacy, and performance guarantees."[3] In 2020, Google released a beta version of MV3,[4] and by early 2022, Google Chrome disallowed users to release extensions on the Chrome Web Store that were only incompatible with MV3.[5]
[Incident]
[Company]'s response
Lawsuit
Consumer response
There are doubts that MV3 do much for the security, since "when a malicious extension sneaks through the security review process, it is usually interested in simply observing the conversation between your browser and whatever websites you visit"[6]. And to quote Firefox’s Add-On Operations Manager: "they can still do that with the current webRequest API that is not blocking".[6]
Users can still browse the web without ads and with reduced tracking by switching to a browser which continues to support Manifest V2 and the full version of uBlock Origin, such as Mozilla Firefox or the Chromium-based Brave.
References
- ↑ "Privacy & Security". Chrome Web Store. Retrieved 16 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "6,320 extensions found in Privacy & Security". addons.mozilla.org. Retrieved 8 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Trustworthy Chrome Extensions, by default". Chromium Blog. 1 Oct 2018. Retrieved 23 Mar 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Manifest V3 now available on M88 Beta". Chromium Blog. 9 Dec 2020. Retrieved 23 Mar 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Manifest V2 support timeline". Chrome for Developers. 9 Oct 2024. Retrieved 23 Mar 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 Barnett, Daly (9 December 2021). "Chrome Users Beware: Manifest V3 is Deceitful and Threatening". Electronic Frontier Foundation. Archived from the original on 27 Jul 2025. Retrieved 16 Aug 2025.