Google Chrome appears to be favoring advertisements over ad blockers. According to a post on X by Raymond Hill, the developer behind the free ad blocker uBlock Origin, Google Chrome has initiated the disabling of the ad blocker.
Hill’s statement follows a post from another user, Christoph Nakazawa, who shared a screenshot showing Google Chrome deactivating three extensions — MDN Search, Neat URL, and uBlock Origin — accompanied by a message indicating that “These extensions are no longer supported” and recommending their removal.
Nakazawa expressed disappointment, suggesting a transition after more than 15 years of using Chrome. He sought recommendations for Chrome-based browsers suitable for macOS that do not exhibit Google’s “nefarious behavior.”
As reported by Mashable in August, these changes coincide with Google Chrome’s transition from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3. A statement from Google spokesperson Scott Westover mentioned that most “actively maintained” extensions in the Chrome Web Store have already adopted Manifest V3. “The top content filtering extensions all have Manifest V3 versions available, including options for users of AdBlock, Adblock Plus, uBlock Origin, and AdGuard,” Westover noted.
This move aligns with Google’s ongoing efforts to curb ad blockers across its platforms, including YouTube. For those wishing to maintain ad-blocking capabilities, switching to browsers that are more accommodating to ad blockers, such as Brave, may be advisable.
Updated information noted that the headline was revised on October 16, 2024, to clearly indicate the specific impact on a particular ad blocker.
