Explained: Is Google Chrome disabling uBlock Origin soon?

Correction: The previous mention of uBlock should have referred to uBlock Origin. The error has been rectified for clarity. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

Google is continuing its crackdown against adblockers. Not too long after Google-owned YouTube started aggressively warning users to stop using it, the search engine giant reportedly confirmed that they’re blocking uBlock Origin in Chrome. 

Well, at least that’s what the social media is being frenzy about at the moment. The reason is that the popular browser has been busy transitioning to Manifest V3, the latest app programming interface (API) that governs how extensions and browsers interact with each other. 

The current iteration, Manifest V2, will be disabled next year, which results in a lot of non-Manifest V3 extensions being killed, too. 

“Users impacted by the rollout will see Manifest V2 extensions automatically disabled in their browser and will no longer be able to install Manifest V2 extensions from the Chrome Web Store,” says Google in the update.

uBlock Origin, a Manifest V2 extension, faces potential deprecation due to Manifest V3’s limitations. Its functionality will cease unless we’re getting a Manifest V3-compatible version in time.

But will we, though? While uBlock Origin currently functions effectively using dynamic filtering to block even complex ads (like the ones on YouTube), Manifest V3’s restrictions on this technique may render it unusable, potentially rendering even other ad blockers ineffective.

However, the maker of the extension did launch a “permission-less MV3-based content blocker” called uBlock Origin Lite a little while ago, but users are calling it a massive downgrade. 

So, how is it going to be? Only time will tell.