Chrome Prepares to Disable Ad Blockers

The Google Chrome browser is transitioning to a new system, Manifest v3, which was introduced back in 2020.

Google Chrome has started notifying users about the possible blocking of ad blockers and other popular extensions due to the discontinuation of support for the Manifest v2 platform, reports BleepingComputer.

On the page of the extension uBlock Origin, one of the most popular ad blockers with an audience of over 34 million people, a warning has appeared: “This extension may soon become unavailable as it does not comply with new Chrome standards.”

Warning that uBlock Origin may soon be unsupported and blocked, BleepingComputer

In test versions of Chrome updated to version 130, support for Manifest V2 has already been disabled, causing several popular extensions to no longer function. The stable release of Chrome 130 is expected in the second half of October, which may come as a surprise to many users.

Earlier, it was reported that the transition to Manifest V3 will significantly limit the capabilities of ad blockers. Instead of directly blocking unwanted requests, extensions will now have to request filtering through Chrome itself. Moreover, the number of available filtering rules will be limited and will not fully meet the needs of ad blockers.

Other Chromium-based browsers, such as Microsoft Edge and Opera, are not yet required to fully switch to Manifest V3 and will continue to support version V2 at least until 2025.

Users who do not want to see ads should consider switching browsers. Alternatives to Chrome include Safari and Firefox, as their own engines allow support for extensions regardless of Google’s decisions.

Currently, Chrome remains the most popular browser worldwide, holding around 65% of the market share. Edge and Safari occupy the next positions, covering approximately 25% of users combined.