uBlock Origin Lite Withdraws from Firefox Store Over Audit Dispute

uBlock Origin Lite (uBOL), the latest version of the renowned ad-blocking extension uBlock Origin (uBO) developed for Manifest v3, is set to become the main version for Chrome browsers in the future. However, due to an auditing issue, it has been voluntarily removed from the Firefox store by its developers, with no plans for a relaunch.

For Firefox users, the immediate impact is minimal as uBO continues to be available in the Firefox browser store. However, those who prefer uBOL may temporarily be unable to install or update it directly from the store.

The Spark of Conflict:

uBOL, an open-source ad-blocking extension, does not collect users' private information. Developer @gorhill revealed that Firefox extension auditors claimed the extension collected and transmitted user data, demanding links to a privacy policy.

Contrary to these claims, uBOL does not harvest user data and has always included a privacy policy. This misjudgment by Firefox staff ignited the dispute.

The issue escalated beyond a single auditing error, revealing long-standing tensions between developers and the auditing team. Frustrated by these baseless accusations, @gorhill decided to withdraw uBOL from the Firefox store permanently.

Firefox Admits to Auditing Error:

While Mozilla has not publicly addressed the issue, follow-up discussions on GitHub issues prompted the Firefox auditing team to acknowledge the mistake in an email to @gorhill.

Despite the acknowledgment and the restoration of uBOL, @gorhill chose to keep the extension off the store.

This incident highlights a broader issue many developers and extension creators face with auditing processes, often unbeknownst to users.