Google is purging ad-blocking extension uBlock Origin from the Chrome Web Store

Bottom line: After years of delaying the adoption of Manifest V3, Google is now moving forward and accelerating the process. Soon, users will have to choose between accepting Chrome's inferior ad-blocking technology or switching to a different browser.

According to recent user reports, uBlock Origin is quickly disappearing from the Chrome Web Store. The official page for the ad-blocking extension now states that it is unavailable because it doesn't comply with Chrome's "best practices" for add-ons. However, we can confirm that the page is still accessible from our EU Windows client.

For those who already have uBlock Origin installed, Chrome now displays a warning that the extension is becoming obsolete. Google introduced Manifest V3 in 2018, claiming it would replace Manifest V2 in the Chromium project due to its supposedly enhanced security features.

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Manifest V3 extensions have restricted access to browser and web data, a particularly troublesome limitation for ad blockers and other security-related add-ons. This shift will essentially force the developers of popular extensions like uBlock Origin to retire their creations from Chrome, leaving users with more limited alternatives based on Manifest V3, such as uBlock Origin Lite.

While Google acknowledged that the transition from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3 would be significant for the Chrome extension ecosystem, the company has decided to move forward regardless. In June, Chrome began displaying warning banners about uBlock Origin and other Manifest V2 extensions, and now the anticipated "extension apocalypse" seems to be entering its final phase.

Chrome power users can continue using uBlock Origin to block ads effectively until June 2025, as Google offers an enterprise policy (ExtensionManifestV2Availability) to ease the transition. After that, uBlock Origin will likely stop functioning, and users will need to switch to a Manifest V3-based ad blocker like uBlock Origin Lite, AdGuard, or similar alternatives.

Some third-party Chromium-based browsers, such as Opera and Vivaldi, have stated that they have no plans to drop support for Manifest V2, although maintaining the older technology may become difficult or impossible over time.

Meanwhile, Mozilla Firefox – according to uBlock devs – continues to offer the best ad-blocking experience and will support Manifest V2 for the foreseeable future.