Google Chrome Tests Complete Removal of V2 Ad Blockers

Google is testing a new feature in Chrome’s Canary build that completely removes the ability to use Manifest V2 browser extensions, including popular ad blockers like uBlock Origin.

Key Points:

  • The toggle to re-enable unsupported V2 extensions is now greyed out in Chrome Canary
  • Users can only remove these extensions or find V3 alternatives
  • This is part of Google’s transition from Manifest V2 to V3 for Chrome extensions
  • V3 is designed to improve security and performance but limits ad blocker functionality

While still in testing, this change is likely to roll out to stable Chrome versions soon. It signals Google’s commitment to phasing out fuller-featured V2 ad blockers from Chrome.

The move to V3 prevents ad blockers from using remotely hosted code and updating filter lists without Google’s review, significantly hampering their effectiveness.

This aggressive stance against ad blockers may push some users to consider alternative browsers. Mozilla Firefox has pledged to maintain support for V2 extensions while also offering V3 support, giving users more choice.

The changes will affect other Chromium-based browsers like Microsoft Edge, though the specific toggle removal is currently Chrome-only.

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