Google postpones Chrome content-blocker shakeup once again

A Google announcement has revealed that the release of the Chromium-based web browser, Manifest V3 (MV3), has been delayed. The update is expected to be launched by March 2023.

The most recent developments coincided with the implementation of a January 2023 deadline, which was announced in September. Google seemed to be in chaos over the changes in release, as the delay continued from September to January and now till March. even if it is only for enterprise users.

Manifest V2 (MV2) is currently being developed by making new extensions that offer strong performance to its audience, including advanced privacy tools like “uBlock Origin” and “Decentraleyes.” By limiting the rights accessible to developers in MV3, Google hopes to limit this feature, which it believes will improve user privacy and performance.

Manifest V3’s privacy implications

Google has long tried to make good on its intention to support content-blocking extensions even after the transition, but it seems that this won’t become reality.

As reported by actual deadlines, it was observed by Techradar that core uBlock origin-developer “Raymond Hill” has developed a compatible version of MV3, but the functionality is so low that it can’t be released.

As reported by the Register, a few complaints were also received by “Electronic Frontier Foundation” and “Jean-Paul Schmetz,”  as well as a few more names that were hidden by the CEO of a privacy suite provider.

The transition to MV3 has been fraught with bugs, and the API is still in beta.

According to The Register, the chromium bug system has obtained a variety of bugs.The latest service function, changing background scripts, is being replaced in the background as the need to start and stop is broken and has been broken since 2020.

Although users’ search for a secure browsing experience isn’t over yet,

Multiple browsers, including Microsoft’s, are built on chromium and use Google Chrome as their underlying engine. Although more privacy-protected software, such as Brave and Vivaldi, have an ad and a built-in option to block trackers, switching to MV3 has no effect on them.

Mozilla Firefox, which claims not to be built on chromium, is planning to acquire MV3 with some restrictions from MV2. As reported by TechRadar in September, Mozilla is holding back on web requests to be able to block web content and trackers.