Tue Mar 04 09:47:20 UTC 2025: ## Google Chrome’s Security Update Breaks Popular Ad Blocker uBlock Origin

**Mountain View, CA –** Google’s rollout of its new Chrome extension Manifest V3 (MV3) update is causing widespread disruption, with popular ad blocker uBlock Origin among the casualties. The update, intended to bolster security and privacy, introduces changes that limit the functionality of older extensions, effectively disabling them.

Chrome users are seeing notifications indicating that unsupported extensions, including uBlock Origin, are no longer compatible. While Google offers the option to remove or manage the affected extensions, the original uBlock Origin is currently non-functional on Chrome due to MV3’s incompatibility with a key feature it relies on. The ad blocker remains fully functional on other browsers such as Firefox, which still support the older Manifest V2.

uBlock Origin, a free and open-source extension renowned for its lightweight design and robust ad-blocking capabilities, is a favorite among privacy-conscious users. Its features include blocking ads, trackers, and malicious websites, customizable filtering rules, and support for various blocklists. Unlike some competitors, it does not sell user data or participate in ad whitelisting programs.

The MV3 update, first announced in January 2021 and mandated for new extensions in January 2022, aims to improve security and performance through the introduction of Service Workers and a new Declarative Net Request API. These changes enhance network request management and prevent extensions from loading remote code, mitigating malware risks. However, the transition has resulted in the breakage of numerous older extensions, necessitating developer updates. Google began removing support for older extensions in January 2023. While the update offers significant security improvements, it underscores the potential challenges of major platform updates for widely-used third-party software.

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