Multiple users on Reddit are reporting that their Ublock Origin adblocker was turned off this week, and the extension is no longer available on the Chrome Web Store.
It’s unclear what’s changed because when Cybernews tested it, the extension was still working and available on the Chrome web store.
Yet, many users claim that their beloved extension is gone for good. For some, uBlock Origin was turned off after installing the latest Chrome security updates.
“Google finally killed uBlock. It just uninstalled itself without me doing anything, and now I can't reinstall it. Welcome Firefox and goodbye Chrome!” user jukmifgguggh posted.
Multiple other posts appeared in the subreddit “Piracy.”
“uBlock Origin removed from Chrome Web Store,” one user shared a screenshot of the store.
Here, the notification explains that the extension, used by 39 million users, “is no longer available because it doesn’t follow best practices for Chrome extensions.” The post received over 11,000 upvotes.
“Chrome removed from my laptop,” one of over one thousand responses reads.
Another user also claims that their uBlock was “turned off,” and the Chrome notification warns that the extension is no longer supported. This post received 13,000 upvotes.
“Chrome recommends that you remove it,” the notification says. Reddit users interpreted this as a recommendation to remove Chrome.
Google has been warning for a while to unplug uBlock Origin and all extensions that still rely on the Manifest version 2 (V2). The tech giant is replacing it with Manifest V3, which prioritizes security and reliability over features and functionality.
The phase-out began on October 9th, 2024. However, users can manually adjust the ExtensionManifestV2Availability policy to extend V2 availability for a year and disable the Chrome warnings.
The change removes long-running background scripts that could efficiently filter ads and trackers. Instead, Manifest V3 introduces service workers that do not run continuously and can be terminated. They work best when loaded for the first time.
uBlock Origin developer Raymond Hill has introduced a pared-down version of the popular adblocker called uBlock Origin Lite. It lacks many features such as dynamic filtering, element picker, filtering based on response headers, user-added or automatically updated filter lists, and more. Hill continues development on other browsers, “which are not deprecating MV2, e.g. Firefox.”
“If you really do want to stay on a chromium-engine browser, Brave plans to keep the mv2 framework for as long as feasible for just a handful of extensions – including uBO,” uBlockOrigin developers said.
If uBlock Origin stops working on Chrome, users should at least replace it with another MV3 adblocker. Edge hasn’t specified an MV2 removal timeline, while uBlock is also supported by Opera.
Adblocking is an important cybersecurity feature recommended by both the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Ad blockers reduce the risk of malicious ads or redirects to phishing websites, enhance client-side performance, load pages faster, and reduce the risk of data collection by third parties.
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