5 mo. ago • 98%

Google's "Manifest V2" Chrome extension phaseout next month is expected to impact the original uBlock Origin extension, which still uses the V2 framework and has 37 million users

www.theregister.com Google prepares for Chrome extension Manifest V2 phase out

Starting Monday, users will gradually be warned the end is near

The new MV3 architecture reflects Google's avowed desire to make browser extensions more performant, private, and secure. But the internet giant's attempt to do so has been bitterly contested by makers of privacy-protecting and content-blocking extensions, who have argued that the Chocolate Factory's new software architecture will lead to less effective privacy and content-filtering extensions.

For users of uBlock Origin, which runs on Manifest V2, "options" means using the less capable uBlock Origin Lite, which supports Manifest V3.

98 comments

Switch to Firefox.

237
- yeah the solution here is so simple, yet most people seem allergic to firefox.
  
  82
  
  I have serious video playing issues on Firefox. I thought it was ublock, so i tried turning it off but video and live streams still take forever to load they freeze, too. My computer is very powerful so that's not the issue. No idea what is.
  
  12
  
  I don't on mobile because it's way too slow.
  
  But I guess that isn't applicable to this post because mobile Chromium doesn't have ublock anyway...
  
  And on linux, I have firefox issues with wayland because of some Nvidia thing. Chromium too, but its less severe and I can actually get GPU acceleration working.
  
  -21
- I never left, because I'm not a sucker that fell for chromes marketing wank.
  
  24
  
  it wasn't marketing wank. it was a significant performance difference. people forget Firefox 3.x but i remember. it was fireslug more like.
  
  11
- And donate too!! We have to keep Firefox going to protect our privacy and security.
  
  7
- As soon as they fix the framerate of PWAs on mobile and add vertical tabs on desktop (they are working on this one; pretty excited), I'll switch back immediately.
  
  1
Use non chromium based browsers ppl unless you absolutely need it

115
Now every public school that uses Chromebooks is going to have children get served ads on taxpayer dollars?

What could go wrong?

🍿

72
- As if they didn't already?
  
  17
  
  It's a sad state of affairs modern schools have when an instructor tries to pull up a video on YouTube or other sites to use in class, and an entire classroom of children have to sit through the unskippable ads.
  
  I guess I'll take that over the TV documentaries my teachers used to record on VHS that had commercials to fast forward through, but the modern internet truly sucks.
  
  15
- Google's Admin Console has an option to continue enabling Manifest V2 extensions. Most schools would be wise to lock down which extensions they let users install anyway, and the zero trust approach is to just deploy what's needed for access to curriculum.
  
  6
- Gotta get em while they're young, marketing execs drooling over the new wave of consumerist indoctrination!
  
  4
- pi-hole
  
  4
  
  At school?
  
  5
- It is a good point: other platforms [other than iOS] have an easy solution (Firefox), but on Chromebooks you're relatively locked in because you have to jump through hoops installing the Linux environment in order to use it.
  
  2
Good thing I've always used Firefox.

Chrome always seemed more of a curiosity than something I needed to use. I never saw the need to switch from Firefox when Firefox did everything I wanted.

69
For those looking to move beyond Chrome, there are alternatives that come pre-installed with uBlock Origin and are considered better than Firefox:

LibreWolf

This project is a custom and independent version of Firefox, with the primary goals of privacy, security and user freedom.

LibreWolf is designed to increase protection against tracking and fingerprinting techniques, while also including a few security improvements. This is achieved through our privacy and security oriented settings and patches. LibreWolf also aims to remove all the telemetry, data collection and annoyances, as well as disabling anti-freedom features like DRM.

Mullvad Browser

The Mullvad Browser is developed – in collaboration between Mullvad VPN and the Tor Project – to minimize tracking and fingerprinting. It is designed to be used with a trustworthy VPN instead of the Tor Network. It does not require the use of Mullvad's VPN.
38
- Looks up LibreWolf on AUR
  
  Holy dependencies batman!
  
  22
  
  What do you mean by that?
  (I'm a filthy casual)
  
  7
- Anyone that's used Librewolf mind offering their opinion on it? That description sounds pretty sweet.
  
  9
  
  It's the best. Deletes all cookies and browsing data on exit by default. I changed it to keep history and cookies for a handful of sites
  
  Turned up uBO to strict mode and installed JShelter to get rid of most clientside fingerprinting (this will cause some breakage on a site by site basis though, which is quick to be fixed. Mostly on sites that are dynamically managed by JS instead of the way it's meant to be)
  
  9
  
  It is pretty sweet. Used it as my main browser for a year. It comes pretty hardened. Try it out for sure its worth it.
  
  7
  
  I quite enjoy using it. Stays out of the way, boots instantly, is very plain looking.
  
  4
  
  In my experience, the Flatpak variant of Firefox on Linux is the swiftest among Firefox-based browsers.
  
  3
  
  It's a bit too restrictive by default imo, good for privacy but you will need to change quite a few setting if you want to browse normally.
  
  Despite my opinion it's the browser I use most on my laptop.
  
  2
  
  It's great. It's essentially Firefox, but without the unnecessary bullshit like Sponsored sites or Pocket integration, and it has some quite significant privacy and security improvements. Also comes with uBlock Origin pre-installed.
  
  1
  
  I've had librewolf specific bugs absent in firefox, definitely not a strict upgrade.
  
  1
  
  I've used Librewolf until pretty recently and I say it's not for everyone. It's hardened Firefox made into its own thing for people who want the benefits of hardened Firefox but don't want to go through the effort of hardening their Firefox install.
  
  There are some sites that wouldn't work in the strictest settings. As far as I remember, the most problematic sites with Librewolf are those that demand way too much in terms of privacy and security, so I took it as a given that if a site doesn't work with Librewolf (with me using the default settings), it's not worth it to enter to begin with.
  
  1
I switched to Firefox the same time I switched to Linux and I switched to Linux with the reddit enshittification.

30
I still prefer Chrome over Firefox but I've been running Firefox for over a year now and won't go back to Chrome because fuck Google. Also stopped using Google for searching and not being tracked is very very noticeable.

25
- Tried using chromium based browser instead? You are not mainlined into Google that way. Vivaldi is absolutely great. It's got way better baked in features than chrome which can reduce need for extensions and it has a strong commitment to pushing chromium as far as possible to be privacy conscious. Runs and syncs across Android and pc as well.
  
  -2
  
  Those are all chromium based. They all are connected to google and will all have the manifest v3 change.
  That is unless they will support v3 but keep some doors open for content blockers ( this is mozillas plan )
  
  13
Honestly this might be a good thing. It might push more users to Firefox causing more competition for Chrome/Chromium.

22
- In my +5000 workforce org only chrome and edge are allowed in mdm..
  
  8
Expect a bump in Firefox users.

20
Going to plug Cromite (a continuation of Bromite) for a great Chromium fork with built in adblocking, and no nonsense like Brave or whatever: https://github.com/uazo/cromite

Also great on Android (which it was originally developed for).

Forks maintained by a hero dev are less than ideal (and not sustainable TBH), but this is where we are...

17
- Does Cromite have support for auto-filling from 3rd party password managers? When I last used Bromite, it couldn't so I never ended up using it as my main browser
  
  6
  
  Yes, I use it with Bitwarden
  
  4
Google is such a greedy group of jackasses. Using their browser monopoly to shore up their ad monopoly should be a crime.

6
Guess, I will need to stop using Chrome unless I have no other option (I mostly use Firefox, but I occasionally use Chrome).

6
- i use vivaldi for my school stuff. wonder if the v2 version of ublock will keep working. and the built in blocker in brave?
  
  4
This is the best summary I could come up with:

"Users will be directed to the Chrome Web Store, where they will be recommended Manifest V3 alternatives for their disabled extension.

The most salient of these is the blocking version of the webRequest API, which is used to intercept and alter network traffic prior to display.

Under Manifest V2, it's what extension developers use to stop adverts, trackers, and other content appearing on pages, and prevent certain scripts from running.

The new MV3 architecture reflects Google's avowed desire to make browser extensions more performant, private, and secure.

Li acknowledged the issue by noting the ways in which Google has been responsive, by adding support for user scripts, for offscreen documents that have access to the DOM API, and by increasing the number of rulesets in the declarativeNetRequest API (the replacement for webRequest) to 330,000 static rules and 30,000 dynamics ones.

And by the beginning of 2025, when the API changes have been available for some time in the Chrome Stable channel, Manifest V2 extensions will stop working.

The original article contains 589 words, the summary contains 167 words. Saved 72%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

2
sidebar bus I miss the icon style from the thumbnail

1
Safari all the way

1
Firefox? More like fire chrome amirite? 🥁

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