Re: Chrome's next update will kill adblockers

On 2026-06-20, Rich wrote:

> Nuno Silva <[email protected]> wrote:
>> On 2026-06-20, Retrograde wrote:
>> 
>>> From the «Raspberry Pi still works» department:
>>> Feed: Slashdot
>>> Title: Google Chrome's Next Update Will Mark the End of Popular Ad
>>> Blockers
>>> Author: BeauHD
>>> Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2026 21:00:00 +0000
>>> Link:
>>> https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/06/15/205219/google-chromes-next-update-will-mark-the-end-of-popular-ad-blockers?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed
>>>
>>> Google is removing Chrome's last remaining workarounds for Manifest V2
>>> extensions, effectively ending support for legacy ad blockers such as
>>> the original uBlock Origin. 9to5Google reports: CyberNews points out a
>>> Chromium commit that removes support for the
>>> "kExtensionManifestV2Disabled" flag, which is referred to as "dead code"
>>> seeing as Chrome no longer supports Manifest V2 extensions. This removal
>>> acts as the final stop for many Manifest V2-based ad blocker extensions
>>> that were still in use today -- the flag was effectively a loophole to
>>> continue using these extensions. A Googler on the commit explains: "MV2
>>> extensions are no longer allowed in any supported version of Chrome, and
>>> we are removing support for them and the associated functionality. We
>>> won't be able to provide / maintain this functionality indefinitely due
>>> to the complexity and tech debt, as well as the security risks it
>>> entails (we've actually found a number of bugs that are specific to MV2
>>> lately). Of course, other browsers can continue supporting these if they
>>> so desire." This will also impact other Chromium-based browsers, though
>>> the comment notes that "other browsers can continue supporting these if
>>> they so desire." Neowin points out that Microsoft Edge and Opera are
>>> likely to follow suit. Chrome 150, set to be released later this month,
>>> will remove this flag, while other leftover bits of Manifest V2 will be
>>> removed in the v151 release.
>> 
>> Removing a feature from Chromium because it's not intended to be
>> supported in Chrome, now that's brilliant :-P
>
> An advertising company (remember, modern Google is the same company 
> that was once known as "Doubleclick") that makes a browser is cutting 
> of the ability of "browser makers" to provide effective ad blockers?  
> Hmm, I wonder /why/ they would do a thing like that.

One word comes to mind: antitrust.

But I guess Google will just fund political campaigns, as reportedly
Microsoft did with Dubya's around the time they were on trial?

-- 
Nuno Silva