Google Chrome users must urgently update their browsers within the next 72 hours to address critical zero-day vulnerabilities, as mandated by the U.S. government's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Failure to update could lead to severe security risks, including potential exploitation by attackers. Additionally, Google is transitioning to Manifest V3, affecting many extensions, particularly ad blockers. Users are advised to prioritize security updates despite potential disruptions.
Google Chrome users must urgently update their browsers within the next 72 hours to address critical zero-day vulnerabilities, as mandated by the U.S. government's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Failure to update could lead to severe security risks, including potential exploitation by attackers. Additionally, Google is transitioning to Manifest V3, affecting many extensions, particularly ad blockers. Users are advised to prioritize security updates despite potential disruptions.
Google will begin phasing out Manifest V2 extensions in Chrome starting June 3, 2024, weakening ad blockers and other extensions. Manifest V3 aims to improve security, privacy, and performance but poses challenges for developers. Enterprises have until June 2025 to transition. Popular ad blockers like uBlock Origin are adapting, but users may face limitations. Google claims 85% of actively maintained extensions have migrated to Manifest V3.
Google Chrome is transitioning from its older Manifest V2 extension system to the more limited Manifest V3 starting next week, despite controversy and criticism from groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Manifest V3 aims to improve security and privacy but restricts capabilities of extensions, particularly ad blockers. Firefox will support Manifest V3 for compatibility but will continue to support V2. Users may need to find alternatives or switch to Firefox as V2 extensions are phased out.
Google is moving forward with its plan to phase out Manifest V2 browser extensions, including ad-blockers, in favor of the newer Manifest V3. Starting Monday, users of Chrome's Beta, Dev, and Canary builds will see warnings about the impending deactivation of V2 extensions. While Manifest V3 aims to improve performance, privacy, and security, it has faced criticism for potentially reducing the effectiveness of content-blocking extensions. Google has made some concessions to developers, but the transition will be fully enforced by early 2025, with enterprises given until June 2025.
Google will disable old Manifest V2 Chrome extensions by early next year, transitioning to Manifest V3 for improved security, privacy, and performance. Over 85% of actively maintained extensions already use Manifest V3, including popular ad blockers. Users will see warnings starting June 3, and V2 extensions will gradually be disabled, with a complete transition expected by early next year.
Google claims that popular ad-blocking extensions like Adblock Plus and AdBlock are causing slow video streaming speeds on YouTube, not the platform itself. YouTube's decision to make its policy against ad blocking more visible may have contributed to the recent drama. Reports of loading delays on YouTube were attributed to a bug in Adblock Plus and AdBlock, which has since been fixed. The creator of uBlock Origin confirmed the performance issues and recommended using their ad blocking extension instead. Eyeo, the company behind Adblock Plus, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Google is intensifying its battle against ad blockers on YouTube by implementing a new policy in its Manifest V3 extension platform. Starting in June 2024, developers will face stricter restrictions and a review process that will slow down the rate at which they can update their extensions. This will give YouTube more time to adjust its algorithms and make ad-blocking attempts less effective. Users who rely on ad blockers for YouTube may need to consider alternative browsers or ad blockers that work at the operating system level.
Google's upcoming Manifest V3 extension platform for Chrome aims to limit ad blockers by putting roadblocks before extension updates, slowing down developers' ability to respond to changes. This will give YouTube and Chrome an advantage in the cat-and-mouse game of ad blocking, as they can quickly adapt their ad delivery system while ad blockers struggle to keep up. Manifest V3 also restricts the ability of ad blockers to update filter lists, requiring all updates to go through the Chrome Web Store review process, which can take anywhere from a few hours to three weeks. Critics argue that Manifest V3 is designed to cripple ad blockers and lacks user-focused justifications, as it does not address privacy concerns or prevent extensions from accessing user data.
Google has admitted to intentionally discouraging users from using ad blockers, following reports of screens going blank for around five seconds when clicking on YouTube videos. While rumors circulated that Google was targeting users of rival browsers, the tech giant clarified that its ad-blocker detection does not specifically target any browsers. Google's upcoming update, Manifest V3, is expected to limit the ability of third-party plugins to block ads, which has led to increased uninstalls of popular ad-blocking tools. Google justifies its crackdown on ad blockers by stating that ads are crucial for supporting creators and their businesses. To enjoy an ad-free experience on YouTube, users can subscribe to YouTube Premium, which increased in price from £11.99 to £12.99 per month in July.
Google is resuming the rollout of its "Manifest V3" extension format, which will limit ad blockers on Chrome starting June 2024. The new format will disable Manifest V2 extensions and impose limits on filtering rules, affecting popular extensions like uBlock Origin. Google claims that the changes will make the browser lighter on resources and enhance user privacy, but critics argue that it will not significantly improve security and will restrict user control. Firefox, on the other hand, plans to implement Manifest V3 without limiting filtering capabilities, allowing users to access content-blocking and privacy-preserving extensions like uBlock Origin.
Google plans to phase out older Chrome extensions, including uBlock Origin, starting in June 2024. The phaseout will initially cover beta versions of Chrome, with the company gradually rolling out the change and gathering user feedback. Google aims to transition from the older Manifest V2 system to Manifest V3, which offers improved security for Chrome extensions but has faced resistance from ad-block providers due to potential restrictions on content filtering. AdGuard has responded positively to the ongoing changes, while the developers of uBlock Origin have created a version called uBlock Origin Lite that is designed to work with Manifest V3. However, there is debate over whether the lite version can fully match the functionality of the original extension.
