12 ms·

Ask HN: Is uBlock Origin removed from Chrome extension?

43 points by magundu 2y ago

Today I noticed uBlock origin is removed from Chrome. Can someone explain why? What are the alternatives to uBlock?

duringmath 2y ago
uBlock origin lite.
- _blk 2y ago
  It's the best they can do on the new API but it's not the same product.
  - pzo 2y ago
    can you share what's the limitation of Lite?
  - TiredOfLife 2y ago
    It's not the same, but in my use for the past couple of weeks it's 99.99% the same
- magundu 2y ago
  Thanks. How to get back previous configuration in uBlock advance user setting?
bdangubic 2y ago
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/15/24270981/google-chrome-ublock-origin-phaseout-manifest-v3-ad-blocker https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/15/24270981/google-chrome-u...
peutetre 2y ago
Use Firefox and uBlock Origin. It always worked best on Firefox anyway: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/uBlock-Origin-works-best-on-Firefox https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/uBlock-Origin-works-b...
nemomarx 2y ago
Chrome is removing some features that Origin depends on now. There's Ublock lite or moving to Firefox to keep using Origin.
tech234a 2y ago
The removal can be bypassed until June 2025: https://old.reddit.com/r/uBlockOrigin/comments/1d49ud1/manifest_v2_phaseout_begins/l6cuqzg/ https://old.reddit.com/r/uBlockOrigin/comments/1d49ud1/manif...
- moderation 2y ago
  A nasty and likely intentional side effect of using these workarounds is that your browser becomes "managed" and it blocks the ability to configure DNS for example. Deal breaker for me
  - tech234a 2y ago
    You can configure DNS while managed by applying an additional policy, but the browser would still be "managed".
_blk 2y ago
The move to the API seems motivated more by keeping the ad profitability model up than being about technical/security reasons. While I'm glad we're not in the IE4 vs. web standards days anymore, with Edge now also being on Chromium-base, there's too many interests in that one hot spot. How did the old saying go? Power corrupts, absolute power ...
- HKH2 2y ago
  Corruption exists because people refuse to do inconvenient things.
  - rnd0 2y ago
    Corruption exists because key internet infrastructure is maintained by corporations with perverse incentives (eg browsers owned by advertisers).
    - HKH2 2y ago
      We don't need Google, but it offers convenience.
chris_wot 2y ago
Stop using Chrome if possible. Use Firefox.
solardev 2y ago
If the DoJ manages to make Google sell Chrome before the new administration, will that stop this disaster?
- gpm 2y ago
  Probably. There's no good technical reason why ublock and similar addons are being un-supported, merely Google's whims. If a non-advertising company buys it they won't have any reason to go through with this. I can only imagine that there will be a whole new can of worms though, trying to maintain a technically complex project with no revenue stream, likely loss of a lot of the core developers, and chaotic management. It might well recover and turn into a fine project. In the meantime though, firefox seems like the best bet whether chrome is removed from Google or not.
  - 3eb7988a1663 2y ago
    I realize something as complex as a browser can never be done, but would it be so bad if new feature development slowed to a crawl? I suppose I only want a faster horse, but few of the cutting edge developments of Chrome seem like they have much to offer me.
    - gpm 2y ago
      New feature development? No. Security fixes slowing to a crawl though, that would be a disaster. There's such a huge user base around chrome that I feel pretty confident it will land in a position where that isn't a problem - eventually. The transition could be rough though, right now I imagine it's quite heavily tied to google infrastructure and engineers.
  - shiroiushi 2y ago
    Why exactly would a non-advertising company buy Chrome? Unless they're an OS company and want to use the browser to force everyone to buy their OS?
    - gpm 2y ago
gnat 2y ago
Anyone have a recipe for running pihole on one’s laptop and proxying traffic through it? One you’ve used and can endorse pls. I too can Google. :)
- quickslowdown 2y ago
  I don't think that's a good idea, it should be a separate, ideally hardwired device (or VM on a host with an Ethernet connection). But I wonder if you could run the PiHole (or Technitium, or AdGuard Home, etc) in a container with Podman or Compose, and set your DNS to 127.0.0.1? I feel like that would create some kind of feedback loop.
  - tmottabr 2y ago
    Why not a good idea?? There is nothing that say it should be a separated hardware.. In fact, AdGuard app for iPhone does basically this, it install itself as an always on VPN to hijack DNS queries from apps.. You dont even need containers or VM for AdGuard, it have a windows version that you can install as a service and then just point the DNS to localhost.. For Pihole i seen guide that use WSL to run it locally, but using containers in this case might be easier.. I dont know Technitium so cant comment on it, but quick search it look like it also have a windows version so it might not require containers as well.. It is not the usual configuration but it work.. In this case i would point AdGuard to use whatever DNS is available in the local network so you do not loose access to local stuff.. If you are on a laptop it will require some manuall managing unfortunatelly, but if you are on a fixed network you just need to set it up once and forget about it..
    - quickslowdown 2y ago
      That's a good point about phone VPNs! It feels like this would be counter to someone's recommended best practice, but now I'm curious and might try this on my own :)
      - tmottabr 2y ago
        basically every adblock on iphone does this, usually as part of a premium paid upgrade.. iOS unfortunately does not have a way for those apps to hijack the OS level DNS... so they fake a VPN to configure thenselves as the VPN DNS server to allow then to capture all the local DNS traffic.. they do this because it is, as far as i know, their only option to do ad blocking for the whole device instead of just for safari..
thekevan 2y ago
While some here don't seem to like it, instead of replacing uBlock O, I suggest replacing Chrome with Brave.
- pcdoodle 2y ago
  Brave is great. Even my Mom uses it and now "hates commercials"
Funes- 2y ago
I just use brave now. Comes with decent ad blocking out of the box.
- modzu 2y ago
  brave can use the same filters too
endgame 2y ago
The technical reason was that uBlock Origin uses the "Manifest V2" extension interface. The new "Manifest V3" standard ever-so-coincidentally doesn't provide the tools necessary for thorough ad-blockers like UBO. You should switch to a browser that maintains support for good ad-blockers.
- MR4D 2y ago
  And this is why I agree with the government that Google has to sell off Chrome. This behavior just pisses me off. “Don’t do evil”, my ass.
  - unsnap_biceps 2y ago
    They removed "Don't be evil" sometime in 2018 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_be_evil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_be_evil
  - wodenokoto 2y ago
    In their defense it’s a long time ago they officially conceded on not being evil.
  - shiroiushi 2y ago
    And who do you think is going to buy it? And why wouldn't they do the same?
    - MR4D 2y ago
      Because whoever buys it won’t also control search. Clearly it won’t be MSFT or AAPL, and given other DOJ investigations, unlikely to be AMZN. So I at least feel we have a fighting chance in someone else’s hands. Fingers crossed of course. But it’s a chance.
      - tmottabr 2y ago
        Dont know about that.. I do see MS buying it but keeping it as an independent foundation and letting other join to vote and help steer development... I could see Google itself doing this to chromium to avoid loose chrome.. Apple is more unlikely since they do not use Chromiun or Blink for Safari, but give that Blink is a fork of WebKit that is what Apple use in Safari i would not say chances are zero..
ChrisArchitect 2y ago
More discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41809698 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41809698 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41757178 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41757178
TiredOfLife 2y ago
As nobody has linked to it jet https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ublock-origin-lite/ddkjiahejlhfcafbddmgiahcphecmpfh https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ublock-origin-lite/... That is the v3 manifest version of uBlock origin by the same author. In my couple week usage it's the same in blocking as uBlock Origin.
- tyingq 2y ago
  It is the hobbled version of uBlock origin, missing features. It may do about the same for general ad blocking now. But, advertisers are now aware there's much less potential to drive people to heuristic-capable ad blockers because that now requires more than "install this plugin". So now, they can be more aggressive about going around ad blockers.
kkfx 2y ago
AFAIK there are no Chrome uBlock alternatives, while there is a Chrome alternative with uBlock, Firefox. Beside that, you can set "ExtensionManifestV2Availability" = 3; as see https://chromeenterprise.google/policies/ https://chromeenterprise.google/policies/ apparently till June 2025 to keep Manifest v2 extensions like uBlock fully working, I've rebuilt my NixOS with Chromium this morning and uBlock was there so it's not removed at least if you have the aforementioned option set.

43 points by magundu 2y ago

Today I noticed uBlock origin is removed from Chrome. Can someone explain why? What are the alternatives to uBlock?

duringmath 2y ago

uBlock origin lite.

_blk 2y ago
It's the best they can do on the new API but it's not the same product.
- pzo 2y ago
  can you share what's the limitation of Lite?
- TiredOfLife 2y ago
  It's not the same, but in my use for the past couple of weeks it's 99.99% the same
magundu 2y ago
Thanks. How to get back previous configuration in uBlock advance user setting?

bdangubic 2y ago

https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/15/24270981/google-chrome-ublock-origin-phaseout-manifest-v3-ad-blocker https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/15/24270981/google-chrome-u...

peutetre 2y ago

Use Firefox and uBlock Origin. It always worked best on Firefox anyway: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/uBlock-Origin-works-best-on-Firefox https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/uBlock-Origin-works-b...

nemomarx 2y ago

Chrome is removing some features that Origin depends on now. There's Ublock lite or moving to Firefox to keep using Origin.

tech234a 2y ago

The removal can be bypassed until June 2025: https://old.reddit.com/r/uBlockOrigin/comments/1d49ud1/manifest_v2_phaseout_begins/l6cuqzg/ https://old.reddit.com/r/uBlockOrigin/comments/1d49ud1/manif...

moderation 2y ago
A nasty and likely intentional side effect of using these workarounds is that your browser becomes "managed" and it blocks the ability to configure DNS for example. Deal breaker for me
- tech234a 2y ago
  You can configure DNS while managed by applying an additional policy, but the browser would still be "managed".

_blk 2y ago

The move to the API seems motivated more by keeping the ad profitability model up than being about technical/security reasons. While I'm glad we're not in the IE4 vs. web standards days anymore, with Edge now also being on Chromium-base, there's too many interests in that one hot spot. How did the old saying go? Power corrupts, absolute power ...

HKH2 2y ago
Corruption exists because people refuse to do inconvenient things.
- rnd0 2y ago
  Corruption exists because key internet infrastructure is maintained by corporations with perverse incentives (eg browsers owned by advertisers).
  - HKH2 2y ago
    We don't need Google, but it offers convenience.

chris_wot 2y ago

Stop using Chrome if possible. Use Firefox.

solardev 2y ago

If the DoJ manages to make Google sell Chrome before the new administration, will that stop this disaster?

gpm 2y ago
Probably. There's no good technical reason why ublock and similar addons are being un-supported, merely Google's whims. If a non-advertising company buys it they won't have any reason to go through with this. I can only imagine that there will be a whole new can of worms though, trying to maintain a technically complex project with no revenue stream, likely loss of a lot of the core developers, and chaotic management. It might well recover and turn into a fine project. In the meantime though, firefox seems like the best bet whether chrome is removed from Google or not.
- 3eb7988a1663 2y ago
  I realize something as complex as a browser can never be done, but would it be so bad if new feature development slowed to a crawl? I suppose I only want a faster horse, but few of the cutting edge developments of Chrome seem like they have much to offer me.
  - gpm 2y ago
    New feature development? No. Security fixes slowing to a crawl though, that would be a disaster. There's such a huge user base around chrome that I feel pretty confident it will land in a position where that isn't a problem - eventually. The transition could be rough though, right now I imagine it's quite heavily tied to google infrastructure and engineers.
- shiroiushi 2y ago
  Why exactly would a non-advertising company buy Chrome? Unless they're an OS company and want to use the browser to force everyone to buy their OS?
  - gpm 2y ago

gnat 2y ago

Anyone have a recipe for running pihole on one’s laptop and proxying traffic through it? One you’ve used and can endorse pls. I too can Google. :)

quickslowdown 2y ago
I don't think that's a good idea, it should be a separate, ideally hardwired device (or VM on a host with an Ethernet connection). But I wonder if you could run the PiHole (or Technitium, or AdGuard Home, etc) in a container with Podman or Compose, and set your DNS to 127.0.0.1? I feel like that would create some kind of feedback loop.
- tmottabr 2y ago
  Why not a good idea?? There is nothing that say it should be a separated hardware.. In fact, AdGuard app for iPhone does basically this, it install itself as an always on VPN to hijack DNS queries from apps.. You dont even need containers or VM for AdGuard, it have a windows version that you can install as a service and then just point the DNS to localhost.. For Pihole i seen guide that use WSL to run it locally, but using containers in this case might be easier.. I dont know Technitium so cant comment on it, but quick search it look like it also have a windows version so it might not require containers as well.. It is not the usual configuration but it work.. In this case i would point AdGuard to use whatever DNS is available in the local network so you do not loose access to local stuff.. If you are on a laptop it will require some manuall managing unfortunatelly, but if you are on a fixed network you just need to set it up once and forget about it..
  - quickslowdown 2y ago
    That's a good point about phone VPNs! It feels like this would be counter to someone's recommended best practice, but now I'm curious and might try this on my own :)
    - tmottabr 2y ago
      basically every adblock on iphone does this, usually as part of a premium paid upgrade.. iOS unfortunately does not have a way for those apps to hijack the OS level DNS... so they fake a VPN to configure thenselves as the VPN DNS server to allow then to capture all the local DNS traffic.. they do this because it is, as far as i know, their only option to do ad blocking for the whole device instead of just for safari..

thekevan 2y ago

While some here don't seem to like it, instead of replacing uBlock O, I suggest replacing Chrome with Brave.

pcdoodle 2y ago
Brave is great. Even my Mom uses it and now "hates commercials"

Funes- 2y ago

I just use brave now. Comes with decent ad blocking out of the box.

modzu 2y ago
brave can use the same filters too

endgame 2y ago

The technical reason was that uBlock Origin uses the "Manifest V2" extension interface. The new "Manifest V3" standard ever-so-coincidentally doesn't provide the tools necessary for thorough ad-blockers like UBO. You should switch to a browser that maintains support for good ad-blockers.

MR4D 2y ago
And this is why I agree with the government that Google has to sell off Chrome. This behavior just pisses me off. “Don’t do evil”, my ass.
- unsnap_biceps 2y ago
  They removed "Don't be evil" sometime in 2018 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_be_evil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_be_evil
- wodenokoto 2y ago
  In their defense it’s a long time ago they officially conceded on not being evil.
- shiroiushi 2y ago
  And who do you think is going to buy it? And why wouldn't they do the same?
  - MR4D 2y ago
    Because whoever buys it won’t also control search. Clearly it won’t be MSFT or AAPL, and given other DOJ investigations, unlikely to be AMZN. So I at least feel we have a fighting chance in someone else’s hands. Fingers crossed of course. But it’s a chance.
    - tmottabr 2y ago
      Dont know about that.. I do see MS buying it but keeping it as an independent foundation and letting other join to vote and help steer development... I could see Google itself doing this to chromium to avoid loose chrome.. Apple is more unlikely since they do not use Chromiun or Blink for Safari, but give that Blink is a fork of WebKit that is what Apple use in Safari i would not say chances are zero..

ChrisArchitect 2y ago

More discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41809698 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41809698 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41757178 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41757178

TiredOfLife 2y ago

As nobody has linked to it jet https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ublock-origin-lite/ddkjiahejlhfcafbddmgiahcphecmpfh https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ublock-origin-lite/... That is the v3 manifest version of uBlock origin by the same author. In my couple week usage it's the same in blocking as uBlock Origin.

tyingq 2y ago
It is the hobbled version of uBlock origin, missing features. It may do about the same for general ad blocking now. But, advertisers are now aware there's much less potential to drive people to heuristic-capable ad blockers because that now requires more than "install this plugin". So now, they can be more aggressive about going around ad blockers.

kkfx 2y ago

AFAIK there are no Chrome uBlock alternatives, while there is a Chrome alternative with uBlock, Firefox. Beside that, you can set "ExtensionManifestV2Availability" = 3; as see https://chromeenterprise.google/policies/ https://chromeenterprise.google/policies/ apparently till June 2025 to keep Manifest v2 extensions like uBlock fully working, I've rebuilt my NixOS with Chromium this morning and uBlock was there so it's not removed at least if you have the aforementioned option set.