uBlock Origin developer recommends switching to Firefox as Chrome flags the extension

Comment from gorhill (the developer of uBO and uBOL):

I didn't recommend to switch to uBO Lite, the article made that up. I merely pointed out Google Chrome currently presents uBO Lite as an alternative (along with 3 other content blockers), explained what uBO Lite is, and concluded that it may or may not be considered an acceptable alternative, it's for each person to decide.

https://www.reddit.com/r/uBlockOrigin/comments/1ejhpu5/comment/lgdmthd/

They should recommend switching to Firefox instead. It's clear that Google cannot be allowed to have a monopoly on browsers.

I only use Firefox and have for the past few years. Yesterday I tried to schedule an appointment to get my oil changed at the dealer but was unable because the process on the site just flat-out breaks on Firefox. This is not a complaint about Firefox, but the fact that Chrome is so popular that some websites only work with Chrome. I don't have a Chromium-based browser installed (besides Edge, which I've never opened intentionally) and I despise being on the phone (which is why I was trying to schedule online in the first place), so I just didn't make the appointment. I'll go somewhere else to get my oil changed. Sorry for the rant but it was extremely frustrating.

This has been a long time in the making...hopefully Firefox will see a market share increase. Google is doing this right as they get slapped by an antitrust ruling ironically lol. If you haven't already just go ahead and switch, if you like Lemmy you'll probably like Firefox as well.

Side note: I try not to be negative here, but this would be a great time for Mozilla to get their act together as an organization. Love Firefox and the idea, but Mozilla has been pissing off the FOSS space for a while now with their decisions. If they've improved in recent years, disregard this.

On the same day Google was found to be in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act...

What the uBlock dev actually said:

https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uBlock-issues/wiki/About-Google-Chrome's-"This-extension-may-soon-no-longer-be-supported"

Manifest v2 uBO will not be automatically replaced by Manifest v3 uBOL[ight]. uBOL is too different from uBO for it to silently replace uBO -- you will have to explicitly make a choice as to which extension should replace uBO according to your own prerogatives.

Ultimately whether uBOL is an acceptable alternative to uBO is up to you, it's not a choice that will be made for you.

Will development of uBO continue? Yes, there are other browsers which are not deprecating Manifest v2, e.g. Firefox.

I recommend switching to another browser like Firefox or Librewolf.

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I just got firefox yesterday, cause I noticed youtube started baking unskippable ads into their site.

So many kids with assigned school Chromebooks are going to get fucked over by this. You can apparently install Firefox on a Chromebook via the Google Play Store, but that was disabled on my daughter's Chromebook. I don't want her exposed to constant advertising while she's doing her schoolwork. It's bad enough that she's exposed to it the rest of the time just being in America.

memories of Internet Explorer doing the same thing intensifies

The 'block element' picker is the big one that can not be implemented in the lite version.

Also included block lists can't update unless the extension itself updates.

If you're not stuck on chrome due to workplace policy or something, now is the time to switch to Firefox

Understatement, I know, but I find this so annoying, and it certainly feels malicious.

I was just commenting the other day how ridiculous it is that google search results literally serve up malware to people via paid ads. My neighbor was running into issues where her computer kept getting "infected" and a full screen scam would take control, blaring out a loud message that her computer was infected with a virus, that it was infecting microsoft's servers, and she had to call them now to fix it.

After investigating, I found out that these types of scams are stored as blobs on Microsoft's cloud service, but the links are spread via ads in google search. When I tried searching for the exact search terms my neighbor was using on my own devices and my own network, I found out that google was serving me the exact same ads, aka sponsored links. They look like legitimate results for things that people search for, like showing what appears to be a link to Amazon when searching for a product, even the links will say "www.amazon.com".

Obviously I told my neighbor not to use Chrome and suggested some browser alternatives. I installed uBlock on all the browsers (including chrome) just to be safe. Then I showed her how to tell when things are ads, even when they are deceiving, and to never click on ads or sponsored links under any circumstances.

But it's definitely infuriating that they are serving up malware in their ads, don't respond to reports in a timely manner, are getting people caught in scams that they allow to advertise on their network but then somehow object to people managing those risks by blocking ads from untrustworthy sources, like google.

The best action ublock origions devs can take is drop support for chromium based browsers and retract ublock lite from the chrome webstore.

I was hopefull for something more than just a wiki page on github. adding a banner to chrome's add-on menu is way more powerful and far more reaching than what they did

They should update the Chrome extension to tell people to download Firefox instead

ive gotten almost my entire friend group using either the same fork as me or the original firefox, they all used chrome before. all because google was dumb enough to overstep some peoples boundaries.

Already switched as soon as I learned of Google’s plans. They can go screw themselves for doing this. Firefox, the land of the free and open source!

So now we need an adblock blocker blocker to unblock our adblockers

I switched to Firefox last year when talks of chromium manifest V3 First started popping up. I had used Firefox many years ago when Chrome was first coming out. I was blown away at how well it worked compared to old Firefox, plus how easy they made it to switch. I even changed my phone browser and my desktop browser ties in with it seamlessly. Very happy with the switch and I wish I had switched earlier.

Now, I just wish I could use it at work. Not sure how I'm going to block ads on my work browser.

Welcome to Firefox to anyone who is switching. I use a fork for Firefox (Floorp) Becuase I like it's features.

I agree with them. Better switch to Firefox.

IIRC the Google crackdown was supposed to happen this past January so Chrome users are lucky they got some extra time to switch.

@TheImpressiveX

Maybe you should update the title, since it is factually incorrect.

I haven't used Chrome in years now. Firefox has always been my home.

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UBlock for Chrome is going away, no matter what Google says about Manifest.

the creator of ublock also said to chrome/chormium users to use the light v3 version is that right?

Well I don't use Chrome, so....

o7

I already switched to Firefox after Netscape.

I know, that some day I will have to switch to Firefox. But I'm putting it off as long as I can, as I don't like that browser. I will have to instal a shit load of add-ons to get the customisability of Vivaldi, and I doubt k will get it all.

Not quite on topic, but: This past week developers at my company have been slammed by the Chrome DevTools debugger freezing when you hit a breakpoint. There's been no tracked bug and no timeline from Chrome on a fix. It's been a little bit of a lesson in having just one browser engine.

I have a Chromebook, what do I need to do to get ubo? From my understanding, Firefox is not supported in the browser so I'd need to get Linux? How does security work with Linux?

I've been using uBOLite for about a year and I'm pretty happy with it. You don't have to give the extension access to the content on the page and all the filtering on the browser engine, not over JavaScript.

I don't want to let go of my poor Vivaldi it's a blast of a browser

Did I miss a piece? I don't see anywhere in the original statement where firefox is actively recommended, just mentioned as an example.

PPAPI really ruined this all NPAPI FTW

umatrix better

I only use chrome when checking my Gmail account. Brave is my go-to.

I've been using Chromium because it has excellent profiles support built-in. Firefox's profile separation works via a plugin and is just awkward, unless something has improved recently.