Google Chrome blocks popular adblocker: here’s the alternative

A popular adblocker in Chrome will soon stop working after Google implemented new rules for browser extensions.

Google blocks adblocker in Chrome

Most people who use the Chrome browser also have an adblocker installed. While this is perfectly understandable, it is also understandable that Google does not appreciate this. Changes in Chrome’s policy therefore have consequences for a popular adblocker.

The change in Chrome extension support (from Manifest V2 framework to the newer V3) is, according to Google, a way to make browser extensions more secure and efficient. It also makes them compliant with modern APIs. But the change also means that some extensions will no longer be supported. One of those extensions is uBlock Originan adblocker with over 30 million users on Chrome (and probably many more on other browsers).

This is the alternative

The makers of uBlock Origin are well ahead of Google, however. They already have a Manifest V3-compliant adblocker for Chrome called uBlock Origin LiteThis extension uses the same core ad blocking filters, but lacks certain features such as dynamic filters for blocking scriptlet injection.

uBO Lite is also less able to bypass anti-adblockers. Nevertheless, Google has now given uBlock Origin Lite the ‘Recommended’ badge in the Chrome Web Store.

Raymond Hill, the developer of uBlock Origin, could easily automatically replace the Chrome Web Store page with the Lite version, but according to a post on GitHub he has no interest in that:

I consider uBO Lite to be too different from uBO to be an automatic replacement. You will have to explicitly find a replacement to uBO according to what you expect from a content blocker. uBO Lite may or may not fulfill your expectations.

Loosely translated it says:

I find uBO Lite too different from uBO to automatically replace the page. You will have to explicitly find a replacement for uBO based on what you expect from an adblocker. uBO Lite may or may not meet your expectations.

uBlock Origin should continue to work fine on other browsers, including Firefox, Edge, Opera, and Safari. Google’s move to Manifest V3 support doesn’t appear to be in an effort to block adblockers, but it does seem likely that it helped drive decisions in that direction.