Google Just Killed The Best Adblock...

Event / Issue

The creator (Mudahar) claims that Google Chrome has begun blocking ad-block extensions—specifically uBlock Origin—calling it the “final day” of its availability. He demonstrates that uBlock Origin can no longer be added to Chrome and notes related reports that other extensions have been “purged”/disabled around the same time (including multiple extensions being turned off after an update).

Why It’s Happening (Technical Concept): Manifest V3 (MV3)

Chrome’s shift to Manifest V3 (MV3) is presented as the core reason ad blockers are being weakened. MV3 is described as introducing new restrictions/limits, such as:

• A cap on blocking rules
• Reduced ability for extensions to handle requests in real time
• Removal/changes to background scripts
• Changes affecting cosmetic filtering
• Broader restrictions tied to extension “capabilities,” which the creator argues makes privacy/security tools harder to run effectively

Impact on Ad Blockers (uBlock Origin Specifics)

The creator contrasts Manifest V2 (MV2) vs Manifest V3 (MV3):

• MV2 (including the older webRequest model): ad blockers could reportedly intercept/inspect/modify network requests dynamically.
• MV3: power is reduced by shifting toward declarative net request, which the creator implies prevents dynamic inspection/modification.

He also notes that uBlock Origin Light may still work, but is less effective—with YouTube ads described as still slipping through.

Broader Security / Privacy Argument

The creator frames ad blocking as a major defensive tool, citing general claims that ads can enable tracking and malicious behavior. He argues:

• These Chrome/MV3 restrictions may be partially business-driven, because Google is an advertising company and ad blocking reduces revenue.
• MV3 was likely pushed due to malicious extensions abusing permissions and data access, but he argues MV3 “throws out the baby with the bathwater” by weakening legitimate privacy tools as well.

Browser Alternatives / Recommendations

Brave

• Suggested as an immediate replacement.
• The creator claims Brave provides a compatibility layer for Manifest V2 “for now,” but warns it’s not guaranteed long-term.

Firefox

• Presented as the option most likely to keep Manifest V2 supported longer, which the creator argues is better for ad-block functionality going forward.

Librewolf

A privacy-focused Firefox-based fork, described as having:

• No telemetry / enhanced privacy
• Content blockers enabled
• Fast updates
• Open-source
• Preconfigured DuckDuckGo
• “More privacy thrown into it”
• Easier installation on Windows/macOS and via app managers

Tutorial / Guide: Temporary Workaround to Keep uBlock Origin on Chrome

Before MV3 fully removes legacy support, the creator suggests enabling temporary flags in Chrome:

1. Open a new tab and go to chrome://flags
2. Enable “Temporarily unexpire M136 flags / M137 flags” (version-dependent)
3. Navigate to extension manifest settings
4. Set “Allow legacy manifest versions” to enabled/disabled as appropriate
5. Relaunch Chrome

He emphasizes this is temporary and likely to stop working later.

Additional Privacy Tooling (Search-Focused Setup)

The creator recommends a self-hosted search engine aggregator (mentioned: SearXNG) to reduce tracking and avoid ads:

• Queries across multiple search engines
• Self-hosting and anonymization claims
• Filter controls (e.g., restricting results to a recent time window)
• Notes “no ads” and far less tracking

He also offers to make a future video about setting it up to run continuously on a home network.

Main Speakers / Sources

• Speaker: Mudahar (creator/host)
• Referenced sources: The Reddit community r/chrome (as referenced in subtitles) and general claims about browser market share (Chrome/Safari/Edge/Firefox).