Google's "Manifest V2" Chrome extension phaseout next month is expected to impact the original uBlock Origin extension, which still uses the V2 framework and has 37 million users
Starting Monday, users will gradually be warned the end is near
The new MV3 architecture reflects Google's avowed desire to make browser extensions more performant, private, and secure. But the internet giant's attempt to do so has been bitterly contested by makers of privacy-protecting and content-blocking extensions, who have argued that the Chocolate Factory's new software architecture will lead to less effective privacy and content-filtering extensions.
For users of uBlock Origin, which runs on Manifest V2, "options" means using the less capable uBlock Origin Lite, which supports Manifest V3.
I have serious video playing issues on Firefox. I thought it was ublock, so i tried turning it off but video and live streams still take forever to load they freeze, too. My computer is very powerful so that's not the issue. No idea what is.
But I guess that isn't applicable to this post because mobile Chromium doesn't have ublock anyway...
And on linux, I have firefox issues with wayland because of some Nvidia thing. Chromium too, but its less severe and I can actually get GPU acceleration working.
As soon as they fix the framerate of PWAs on mobile and add vertical tabs on desktop (they are working on this one; pretty excited), I'll switch back immediately.
It's a sad state of affairs modern schools have when an instructor tries to pull up a video on YouTube or other sites to use in class, and an entire classroom of children have to sit through the unskippable ads.
I guess I'll take that over the TV documentaries my teachers used to record on VHS that had commercials to fast forward through, but the modern internet truly sucks.
Google's Admin Console has an option to continue enabling Manifest V2 extensions. Most schools would be wise to lock down which extensions they let users install anyway, and the zero trust approach is to just deploy what's needed for access to curriculum.
It is a good point: other platforms [other than iOS] have an easy solution (Firefox), but on Chromebooks you're relatively locked in because you have to jump through hoops installing the Linux environment in order to use it.
Chrome always seemed more of a curiosity than something I needed to use. I never saw the need to switch from Firefox when Firefox did everything I wanted.
This project is a custom and independent version of Firefox, with the primary goals of privacy, security and user freedom.
LibreWolf is designed to increase protection against tracking and fingerprinting techniques, while also including a few security improvements. This is achieved through our privacy and security oriented settings and patches. LibreWolf also aims to remove all the telemetry, data collection and annoyances, as well as disabling anti-freedom features like DRM.
The Mullvad Browser is developed – in collaboration between Mullvad VPN and the Tor Project – to minimize tracking and fingerprinting. It is designed to be used with a trustworthy VPN instead of the Tor Network. It does not require the use of Mullvad's VPN.
It's the best. Deletes all cookies and browsing data on exit by default. I changed it to keep history and cookies for a handful of sites
Turned up uBO to strict mode and installed JShelter to get rid of most clientside fingerprinting (this will cause some breakage on a site by site basis though, which is quick to be fixed. Mostly on sites that are dynamically managed by JS instead of the way it's meant to be)
I've used Librewolf until pretty recently and I say it's not for everyone. It's hardened Firefox made into its own thing for people who want the benefits of hardened Firefox but don't want to go through the effort of hardening their Firefox install.
There are some sites that wouldn't work in the strictest settings. As far as I remember, the most problematic sites with Librewolf are those that demand way too much in terms of privacy and security, so I took it as a given that if a site doesn't work with Librewolf (with me using the default settings), it's not worth it to enter to begin with.
It's great. It's essentially Firefox, but without the unnecessary bullshit like Sponsored sites or Pocket integration, and it has some quite significant privacy and security improvements. Also comes with uBlock Origin pre-installed.
I still prefer Chrome over Firefox but I've been running Firefox for over a year now and won't go back to Chrome because fuck Google. Also stopped using Google for searching and not being tracked is very very noticeable.
Tried using chromium based browser instead? You are not mainlined into Google that way. Vivaldi is absolutely great. It's got way better baked in features than chrome which can reduce need for extensions and it has a strong commitment to pushing chromium as far as possible to be privacy conscious. Runs and syncs across Android and pc as well.
Those are all chromium based. They all are connected to google and will all have the manifest v3 change.
That is unless they will support v3 but keep some doors open for content blockers ( this is mozillas plan )
Going to plug Cromite (a continuation of Bromite) for a great Chromium fork with built in adblocking, and no nonsense like Brave or whatever: https://github.com/uazo/cromite
Also great on Android (which it was originally developed for).
Forks maintained by a hero dev are less than ideal (and not sustainable TBH), but this is where we are...
Does Cromite have support for auto-filling from 3rd party password managers? When I last used Bromite, it couldn't so I never ended up using it as my main browser
"Users will be directed to the Chrome Web Store, where they will be recommended Manifest V3 alternatives for their disabled extension.
The most salient of these is the blocking version of the webRequest API, which is used to intercept and alter network traffic prior to display.
Under Manifest V2, it's what extension developers use to stop adverts, trackers, and other content appearing on pages, and prevent certain scripts from running.
The new MV3 architecture reflects Google's avowed desire to make browser extensions more performant, private, and secure.
Li acknowledged the issue by noting the ways in which Google has been responsive, by adding support for user scripts, for offscreen documents that have access to the DOM API, and by increasing the number of rulesets in the declarativeNetRequest API (the replacement for webRequest) to 330,000 static rules and 30,000 dynamics ones.
And by the beginning of 2025, when the API changes have been available for some time in the Chrome Stable channel, Manifest V2 extensions will stop working.
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