Opera Upholds Ad Blocking Legacy by Supporting uBlock Origin MV2 Amidst Chrome Restrictions

Google Chrome's ongoing push towards Manifest V3 (MV3) for extensions has sparked a significant shift in the browser extension ecosystem. With the enforcement of MV3, users of Chrome have been facing warnings and even deactivation of extensions still based on the older Manifest V2 (MV2) protocol. Google's mandate for all extensions to transition to MV3, despite offering enhanced security, has been met with criticism for weakening the functionality of ad-blocking extensions.

In the midst of this, the popular and open-source ad-blocking extension uBlock Origin has launched a "Lite" version based on MV3. While operational, uBlock Origin Lite does not match the original version's blocking efficiency, highlighting the constraints imposed by MV3 on such tools.

Opera Offers Asylum to uBlock Origin MV2

In a contrasting move, Opera browser has announced its decision to continue supporting the MV2 version of uBlock Origin, ensuring users the optimal ad-blocking experience. Despite being based on Chromium, similar to Google Chrome, Opera chooses to prioritize user experience by supporting specific extensions that deliver significant value, like uBlock Origin MV2.

While most extensions will need to migrate to MV3 for compatibility and development reasons, Opera is setting a precedent by allowing certain extensions, notably uBlock Origin, to retain their MV2 framework without necessitating a switch.

Opera plans to reach out to selected developers of these specific extensions in the coming days to determine the safest and most effective path forward, potentially employing a whitelist mechanism to facilitate support for MV2-based extensions.

Opera is not alone in this endeavor, as other browsers also adopt similar strategies to specifically support uBlock Origin MV2, signaling to developers the general trend towards MV3 migration. However, these extensions may face functionality issues on Chromium-based browsers that strictly enforce the MV3 protocol.

For Chrome Users Holding On

Chrome users who wish to temporarily continue using MV2-based extensions, such as uBlock Origin, can refer to a guide that outlines a method to potentially extend the usage of these extensions by up to a year, despite Google's impending restrictions: https://landian.news/article/3161.html