Google’s Chrome extension cull hits more uBlock Origin users

Mar 03, 2025 11:00 PM - 1 week ago 15609

Jess Weatherbed

Jess Weatherbed is a news writer focused connected imaginative industries, computing, and net culture. Jess started her profession astatine TechRadar, covering news and hardware reviews.

Google is disabling the original uBlock Origin advertisement blocker for much Chrome browser users, alongside different extensions that are nary longer supported arsenic the browser migrates to its new hold specification, Manifest V3. According to Google, the caller modular aims to amended privateness and security, but besides removes a characteristic that immoderate advertisement blocking extensions relied connected to activity — a discuss that Mozilla is unwilling to make for its ain Firefox browser.

Users online are reporting on Reddit and X that Chrome is removing outdated extensions. In Chrome, a notification model will look underneath the extensions tab connected the browser taskbar pinch a connection encouraging users to region the impacted add-on, saying it has been turned disconnected and is “no longer supported.” Two buttons are disposable that let users to either quickly delete aliases negociate their extensions.

Google’s uBlock Origin phaseout connected Chromium-based browsers began successful October, but started to person a wider effect successful caller weeks. Bleeping Computer has besides reported that extensions connected staffers devices are being turned off, and Verge staffers person seen akin updates connected our ain machines.

These changes travel arsenic Google migrates Chrome distant from the now defunct Manifest V2 specification. Support is being killed not conscionable for uBlock Origin, but for immoderate hold that hasn’t (or is incapable to) update to Manifest V3. uBlock Origin users tin move to uBlock Origin Lite, which has much constricted filtering capabilities than its predecessor owed to Manifest V3’s advertisement blocking restrictions.

Chrome won’t beryllium the only work affected by the Manifest V3 rollout — different Chromium-based web browsers for illustration Microsoft Edge are besides losing V2 support and Brave says it tin only connection “limited” support erstwhile each Manifest V2 items are removed from the Chrome Web Store. Mozilla says that Firefox will proceed offering some hold specifications, however, perchance giving uBlock Origin users a caller browser to relocate to.

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