Google‘s new Chrome extension platform is coming in 2023, but it’s a controversial move for the tech giant.
Google’s new Manifest V3 for Chrome extension platform also has a timeline for release. Chrome 112 in January 2023 will see support for Manifest V2 go down in the Canary, Dev, and Beta channels. In June 2023, Chrome 115 will also have support beginning to get turned off.
All Manifest V2 extensions in the Chrome Web Store will be switched to unlisted in the wake of the transition to Manifest V3. By January 2024, all remaining V2 extensions will be completely removed from the Chrome Web Store.
Although Manifest V3 is set to have many privacy and security changes, it’s come under fire for its potential effect on ad-blocker extensions. Manifest V3 would essentially make all ad-blockers useless with its new system.
Ad-blockers like uBloc Origin and other similar extensions rely on the Chrome “webRequest” API to block categories of HTTP requests from being made. However, this method can create delay for loading and rendering time on websites.
Manifest V3 will force developers to use a “declarativeNetRequest” which will block specific URL lists only. However, this can only limit up to 30,000 entries, with many ad-blocking lists running much, much larger than that.
Enterprise users will be able to use Manifest V2 until January 2024, however.
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