Google Chrome has stopped supporting the popular uBlock Origin ad blocker. Such changes are related to the release of the new Manifest V3 extension platform, which aims to combat ad blockers, The Verge reports.

The developer of the free extension, Raymond Hill, also confirmed on his X account that uBlock Origin has stopped working on Chrome. To get around this ban, he released uBlock Origin Lite, which works on the new platform but has fewer features compared to the full version.

uBlock Origin

The problem with the new blocker is that Google Chrome users need to install it themselves, as it is too different from the regular uBlock Origin to be automatically replaced. In addition, Manifest V3 imposes restrictions on the Declarative Network Request API used by ad-blocking extensions, which means that uBlock Origin Lite’s features are also limited.

“In general, uBOL will be less effective at dealing with websites using anti-content blocker or minimizing website breakage because many filters can’t be converted into DNR [Declarative Net Request] rules,” Hill explained in the FAQ.

Google plans to fully deploy the Manifest V3 platform in Chrome in early 2025. The day before, the company even urged browser users to switch from uBlock Origin to other ad blockers, such as the same uBlock Origin Lite, or Adblock Plus, Stands AdBlocker, or Ghostery.