Google is planning on removing one of the most popular ad blockers available on Chrome, as the company informs users who now attempt to download it that it "may soon no longer be supported."
That ad blocker is uBlock Origin, and according to reports Google has been informing ad blockers such as uBlock that it will be severing support for them after it rolled out the Chrome Manifest V3 extension update. uBlock appears to be included in that as BleepingComputer reports Google's Chrome Web Store is now warning users uBlock may soon be removed "because it doesn't follow best practises for Chrome extensions." Additionally, Google's support bulletin cited user privacy and security as one of the reasons why uBlock is being removed.
BleepingComputer reports that uBlock Origin is not invasive or insecure and that Google's mention of privacy and security has to do with its deprecation of the Manifest V2 extension in favor of Manifest V3. Google's introduction of Manifest V3 ruffled the feathers of extension developers as V3 presented technical challenges, particularly with those such as ad blockers that require greater control over web browsers.
The single creator of uBlock Origin explained in August that uBlock Lite, a Manifest V3 compatible version of the popular extension that is less powerful and doesn't have key features such as specific site ad filtering, will become available in response to Manifest V3.
- Read more: Parents of student that used AI to cheat sue school, claiming AI tools aren't bannable
- Read more: Scientists create artificial vision capable of seeing in dark and bright environments
- Read more: SpaceX release tower perspective footage of Starship being caught mid-air
- Read more: SpaceX's successful Starship flight grabbed by giant mech arms