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Adblock: Google did not slow down and lag YouTube performance with ad blocker on by Sayan Sen Back in November, the internet was abuzz with conspiracy theories of Google purposely slowing down YouTube on Mozilla Firefox while its own browser, Chrome, would work fine. However, those rumors were shot down soon after as Google explained that it was not just Firefox that was the subject of "suboptimal viewing" experience and that it was happening irrespective of the browser. Google put the blame on "installed ad blockers." Fast forward two months, now in January we just had another similar incident with several user reports online of YouTube being slow with adblockers. As is usually the case in these instances, most netizens of course were quick to once again point the finger at Google. The issue was first brought to attention by Reddit users and the thread blew up with many more chiming in to say they were experiencing a similar thing. As it turns out, the bug was not YouTube or Google and was in fact a problem with Adblock and Adblock Plus' recent update Version 5.17.0. Hence if you were using something else like uBlock Origin (like me), you probably did not notice any slowdown. Adblock Plus developers noted the issue as performance regression on its GitLab repo. It wrote: Recently, ABP released version 3.22 which upgraded the bundled extension engine version to 1.1.1. AdBlock released version 5.17.0 which also updated the extension engine to version 1.1.1. We've had several reports of slow response time since the update. It appears to be an issue in the extension engine since ABP, AdBlock, and the EWE test extension all seem to experience a similar issue with the 1.1.1 version of the extension engine. The issue has now been fixed with the latest eyeo's Web Extension Ad Blocking Toolkit (EWE) version 1.1.2, where the breaking change has been reverted. Name: @eyeo/webext-ad-filtering-solution New version: 1.1.2 Reverted "Content filters are now updated via the history.pushState() event, when single page apps navigate using the browser's history API (EE-14, EE-90)". Breaking changes: None. Other changes: Reverted performance regression. Hence, if you are one of those users who is experiencing issues with Adblock and Adblock Plus, you should update your extension. It is also advised not to run multiple content filters or adblockers on your browser if you are facing performance issues. As an online publication, Neowin too relies on ads for operating costs and, if you use an ad blocker, we'd appreciate being whitelisted. In addition, we have an ad-free subscription for $28 a year, which is another way to show support!

Firefox 109 is out with Manifest V3 extensions support, accessibility improvements, more by Taras Buria Following Google Chrome 109 and Microsoft Edge 109 updates, Mozilla released its own "109" update. Firefox 109 is now available in the Release channel, bringing Manifest V3 extensions support, improved accessibility, security fixes, and other improvements. Although Mozilla has implemented Manifest V3 in its browser, developers have no immediate plans to drop Manifest V2 support. On the other hand, Google (and Microsoft) recently decided to extend Manifest V2 support and give developers more time before enforcing the transition to Manifest V3. What is new in Firefox 109? New features: Manifest Version 3 (MV3) extension support is now enabled by default (MV2 remains enabled/supported). This major update also ushers an exciting user interface change in the form of the new extensions button. The Arbitrary Code Guard exploit protection has been enabled in the media playback utility processes, improving security for Windows users. The native HTML date picker for date and datetime inputs can now be used with a keyboard alone, improving its accessibility for screen reader users. Users with limited mobility can also now use common keyboard shortcuts to navigate the calendar grid and month selection spinners. Firefox builds in the Spanish from Spain (es-ES) and Spanish from Argentina (es-AR) locales now come with a built-in dictionary for the Firefox spellchecker. Various Changes: Effective on January 16, Colorways will no longer be in Firefox. Users will still be able to access saved and active Colorways from the Add-ons and themes menu option. On macOS, Ctrl or Cmd + trackpad or mouse wheel now scrolls the page instead of zooming. This avoids accidental zooming and matches the behavior of other web browsers on macOS. The Recently Closed section of Firefox View now equips users with the ability to manually close/remove url links from the list. The empty state messages and graphic components surfaced in Firefox View for the Tab Pickup and Recently Closed sections have been updated for an improved user experience. You can also check out the list of security fixes in Firefox 109 in the official documentation. Full release notes, including developer, web platform, and developer changes, are available on the Mozilla website. Firefox will update itself automatically, but you can force-update the browser by navigating to the Menu > Help > About Firefox.

Firefox 108.0.2 fixes high volume crashes for video playback and browser history management by Paul Hill Mozilla has released Firefox 108.0.2 today bringing bug fixes for two high-volume crashes. The first fix addresses a crash related to video playback on Mac OS X 10.12 – 10.14 and the second fix addresses a crash when managing browser history. According to the Bugzilla entries, both of the issues were originally slated for bigger updates in the future, but due to the occurrence of the issues, it was decided that a point release should be pushed to users. To get these fixes, you just need to update your Firefox install, you can do this by going to the Firefox menu, pressing Help, and then finding About Firefox. The dialog box that appears will let you know if there are any updates available. If you don’t want to mess around, just leave Firefox to install the update automatically in its own time. The Bugzilla report for the browser history crash is quite interesting, in one of the uplift approval requests it suggests that the crash was “trivial” to fix and that there was an issue with some “ancient code”. It just goes to show how big the codebase of the browser project is that code can sit there long enough unchanged to be called ancient. According to Mozilla Hacks in 2020, Firefox has a huge 21 million lines of code. Aside from these two important bug fixes, Mozilla, under the Changed section of the release notes, said that the Tabs sharing devices menu for WebRTC has been moved to the tools menu on macOS only. The item was moved because WebRTC dynamically creates this menu entry in the Windows menu on macOS, which could stop working when the list of menu items was modified. The next major version, Firefox 109, is due for release on January 17. According to the Beta release notes, Manifest Version 3 will be enabled by default in Firefox 109.

Google postpones switch to Manifest V3 again citing new features and unsquashed bugs by Karthik Mudaliar Back in September, we reported that Google will be disabling support for Manifest V2 in Canary, Dev, and Beta builds for Chrome starting January 2023. With less than a month remaining for the change, Google has announced that the transition from Manifest V2 to V3 has been postponed, again. On Friday, Simeon Vincent, who is in charge of developer relations for Chrome extensions, acknowledged the complaints from developers in a post on the Chromium extensions developer forum. He posted: "As we head towards Manifest V3 migration, we are intently monitoring comments from the developer community to help inform our timelines. We’ve heard your feedback on common challenges posed by the migration, specifically the service worker’s inability to use DOM capabilities and the current hard limit on extension service worker lifetimes. We’re mitigating the former with the Offscreen Documents API (added in Chrome 109) and are actively pursuing a solution to the latter." Vincent added that Google is committed to helping developers overcome challenges with the new Manifest V3 API, and will provide them with new functionality, bug fixes, and enough time to make the transition. As a result, the company has decided to postpone its plan to disable Manifest V2 extensions in pre-release versions of Chrome, which are used by developers, and is also reconsidering its timeline for further changes. He further added that an update on these plans will be provided in March of next year, and the goal will be to give developers enough time to update and test their extensions before disabling Manifest V2. Google has been updating the way extensions work in Chrome and its open-source Chromium foundation because the old API, called Manifest V2 (MV2), was easily abused and could negatively impact browser performance. The new API, called Manifest V3 (MV3), is supposed to be more secure and perform better, but it does not support certain capabilities that are commonly used by ad blocking, content blocking, and privacy extensions. Despite objections from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Google has maintained that MV3 is necessary and that it plans to support common use cases like content blocking with the new API. However, others, including the creator of uBlock Origin Raymond Hill and the CEO of Ghostery Jean-Paul Schmetz, have argued that MV3 is indeed harmful. Developers of popular content-blocking extensions are working hard to make sure that users will have a similar experience when they switch to Manifest V3. AdGuard had also released its first experimental Manifest V3-based extension, which is significantly limited compared to the current version but shows that content blockers can still function after the switch to Manifest V3. On the other hand, privacy-focused vendors like Brave and Mozilla plan to keep some of the capabilities that Google is removing or offer alternative options. According to data from chrome-stats.com, only about 30,000 of the approximately 166,000 extensions in the Chrome Web Store have been converted from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3. This means that only about 17.84% of all extensions in the store have been migrated. Even many of Google's own extensions have not yet been converted. If Google follows through with its plans to disable Manifest V2, the vast majority of extensions may stop working.

Edge will support Manifest V2 extensions until at least January 2024 by Taras Buria In late September, Google announced revised plans to continue supporting Manifest V2-based extensions in Chrome for at least one more year. Now Microsoft is ready to follow suit with its updated roadmap regarding implementing Manifest V3 and phasing out Manifest V2. According to the updated documentation, organizations can continue using Manifest V2 extensions on systems configured with corresponding policies until at least January 2024. As of now, Microsoft no longer accepts Manifest V2-based extensions in the Edge Add-ons Store (Public or Hidden). Still, developers can push updates for existing extensions to maintain or add new features. The next step in phasing-out old extensions is to stop accepting updates (except the ones upgrading Manifest V2 to V3) and prevent the browser from running V2-based extensions without enterprise policies. Eventually, it will become impossible to use Manifest V2 extensions in the Edge browser at some point. Microsoft is not ready to announce when it will stop accepting updates for Manifest V2 extensions, let alone disable them for good on all systems, including enterprise. The company says it will continue analyzing the concerns raised by developers and exploring the right path for the Microsoft Edge Add-ons ecosystem. You can find more information about Manifest V3 extensions for Microsoft Edge in the official documentation. Although developers are not happy with Manifest V3 (even with many changes implemented since the initial proposal), the practice shows that most extensions, including content blockers, will survive the dreaded migration. AdGuard, for example, recently launched its first Manifest V3-based extension and detailed how it operates under new rules. As an online publication, Neowin too relies on ads for operating costs, and if you use an ad blocker, we'd appreciate being whitelisted. In addition, we have an ad-free subscription for $28 a year, which is another way to show support!

Google gives adblockers in Chrome another year as it postpones Manifest V3 by Taras Buria Last year, Google announced plans to phase out Manifest V2-based browser extensions in favor of new Manifest V3 policies. Although Manifest V3 promises increased safety and "peace of mind," developers argue that the new rules hurt innovations, decrease performance, and cripple content blockers without giving much better security. Google initially wanted to disable Manifest V2 extensions in Chrome in January 2023 but has now decided to revise its plans. In a new Chrome Developers blog post, the company describes an updated timeframe for migrating from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3. Although Google remains on track to ditch old extensions, developers and customers gained one more year for using and supporting Manifest V2-based extensions. According to the revised schedule, Google will remove them from the Chrome Web Store on January 2024. Besides the new timeframe, Google has described how it plans to take a gradual and experimental approach to turning off Manifest V2 to "ensure a smooth end-user experience." This approach includes two stages: In January 2023, Chrome 112 will get new flags for disabling Manifest V2 in Canary, Dev, and Beta. In June 2023, Chrome 115 will receive the same flags in the Stable Channel. The new experimental flags will help customers see how removing Manifest V2 affects their browsing experience. Google also urges developers to release Manifest V3 extensions during the transition period. Unlike the original blog post, the new version does not explicitly say when Manifest V2 extensions will stop working in Chrome. The company only says old extensions "may stop working at any time following the aforementioned dates." To give developers an extra nudge, Google says Manifest V3 will be a must for those wanting to get the recently introduced "Featured" badge in the Chrome Web Store. Google uses that badge to help customers spot extensions that follow "the best technical practices and meet a high standard of user experience and design." Here is the revised schedule to govern the Manifest V3 implementation: In January 2023, Manifest V3 will be a requirement if a developer wants to get their extension featured with a badge in the Chrome Web Store. In June 2023, Google will stop accepting public Manifest V2 extensions in the Chrome Web Store. Existing Manifest V2 extensions will switch from public to unlisted. Delisted extensions remain accessible in the Chrome Web Store only via direct links. In January 2024, Google will remove all Manifest V2 extensions from the Chrome Web Store. Finally, Google promises to improve Manifest V3 and incorporate changes based on feedback from the community and developers. The rules have already received a fair share of improvements, and the company says more to come. Developers can track the progress in the official documentation. Developers of popular content-blocking extensions are already working tirelessly to ensure they can provide the same user experience after switching to Manifest V3. AdGuard, for example, recently published its first experimental Manifest V3-based extension. Although it is significantly limited compared to the current version, the new extension proves that content blockers will survive Manifest V3 migration (partially, at least). Meanwhile, developers of other browsers take a more aggressive stand and promise not to implement similar rules in their projects. As an online publication, Neowin too relies on ads for operating costs and, if you use an ad blocker, we'd appreciate being whitelisted. In addition, we have an ad-free subscription for $28 a year, which is another way to show support!

AdGuard launches first Manifest V3 ad blocker by Taras Buria In 2018, Google announced Manifest V3—a new set of rules that govern what Chrome extensions can and cannot do. Due to its restrictive policies, Manifest V3 faced severe developer backlash, and, to make things worse, Google said it would disable all Manifest V2 extensions in January 2023. Although many developers raised their concerns that Manifest V3 would kill ad blockers, AdGuard, a company behind one of the most popular extensions for blocking ads, has just released its first Manifest V3-based ad blocker. AdGuard describes its tedious journey to get its extension Manifest V3-compliant in a lengthy blog post. The company says it started prototyping the new extension in mid-2021 and, since then, has overcome (or learned how to deal with) many technical hurdles and obstacles. Although the new extension has some notable limitations compared to the current version, it proves that ad blockers will survive the Manifest V3 apocalypse. One of the most significant downsides of AdGuard's Manifest V3-based ad blocker is new rule limits. Chrome allows no more than 30,000 rules per extension and 330,000 rules for all installed extensions. Also, dynamic rules (those that support user-defined rules and filters) are limited to just 5,000, meaning AdGuard will apply only the first 5,000 rules while keeping the rest inactive. Do not let the 30,000 number fool you. Modern ad blockers use humongous lists of rules to ensure users get ads removed, often working with more than 100,000 filters. According to AdGuard, the new limits could break even the basic filter list, allowing ads to get through. To help users understand how things work, AdGuard has implemented a notification system with rule limits explanations. Despite all the Manifest V3 limitations, AdGuard says its latest extensions can still remove ads and protect its customers from trackers, albeit not as effective as its predecessor. Most users should not notice a significant difference, except for ad flickering, due to the lag in cosmetic rules. AdGuard also notes that AdGuard for Windows, Mac, and Android are immune to Manifest V3 because these apps are not limited by any browser and work system-wide. Those willing to help AdGuard test its new ad blocker can download the extension from the Chrome Web Store. Its source code is available on GitHub so that everyone can contribute to the project's development. As an online publication, Neowin too relies on ads for operating costs and, if you use an ad blocker, we'd appreciate being whitelisted. In addition, we have an ad-free subscription for $28 a year, which is another way to show support!

The EFF will fight Google Chrome Manifest v3 which kills extensions that reliably block ads by Alap Naik Desai Google Chrome will gradually undergo a fundamental revision, and it will deeply impact all extensions for the web browser. The upcoming revised set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), collectively known as Manifest v3, will essentially kill all popular ad-blocking extensions. The Electronic Frontier Foundation or EFF has vowed to fight this change, but it could be a losing battle. The EFF has promised to take on Google, and attempt to convince the tech giant to rethink the Chrome Manifest v3. Essentially, the consortium is trying to repeal the detrimental set of APIs which primarily seek to decimate some specific and popular extensions for the Chrome web browser. EFF technologists Alexei Miagkov and Bennett Cyphers have reportedly called out Google for deliberately hampering ad blocking extensions under the guise of development. “According to Google, Manifest v3 will improve privacy, security, and performance. We fundamentally disagree. The changes in Manifest v3 won’t stop malicious extensions, but will hurt innovation, reduce extension capabilities, and harm real-world performance,” stated Miagkov. Manifest V3, the latest set of changes to 🧩 Chrome extensions, goes live in just two weeks. We completely agree with @EFF and the rest of the community in their firm belief that Manifest V3 brings more harm than good.https://t.co/TpBbZuPUOL — AdGuard (@AdGuard) December 14, 2021 Technical jargon aside, the Manifest v3 is a big departure from the Manifest v2, on which the Google Chrome web browser currently runs. In its current iteration, the Manifest v2 has an API which is a blocking version of "webRequest". It allows extensions to intercept incoming network data and process/filter it before it gets displayed in the browser. However, Google is replacing the powerful and effective API with "declarativeNetRequest". Needless to mention, this API essentially declaws the ad blockers and renders them nearly useless. Essentially, under the new Manifest v3, ad blockers may have to perform the role of a bystander, instead of a gatekeeper. Google has steadfastly maintained that it must limit the capabilities of Chrome extensions so that “their powers to observe and alter the contents of pages are not so easily abused by bad or hijacked extensions.” These proposed changes are highly concerning primarily because browsers like Brave and Microsoft Edge rely on Google's open-source Chromium project as a base. This means ad blockers for these web browsers would also lose their effectiveness. Perhaps Google could drive up the adoption of Mozilla Firefox, but only if the web browser takes a firm stand, which it hasn’t, yet.