The Future of Ad Blockers is Changing
Ad blockers are tools that allow users to block or filter unwanted online advertisem*nts. They are widely used by millions of people who want to enjoy a faster and cleaner browsing experience. But ad blockers are facing a major change that have affected their functionality and performance. In fact, your ad blocker may have stopped working altogether.
In this article, we will explain what this change is, how it will impact ad blockers, and what it means for you.
The State of Ad Blockers Today
Ad blockers are popular for a few reasons:
1. Speed
They improve the loading speed and performance of websites by reducing the amount of data and resources consumed by ads.
2. Experience
They enhance the user experience and aesthetics of websites by removing clutter and distractions.
3. Privacy & Security
They protect the user’s privacy and security by preventing ads from tracking their online activity and exposing them to malware or phishing.
Ad blockers are tools that help you control what you see on a website. They use rules or filters that tell them what to block or allow. Ad blockers stop or change the requests that your browser receives from the website when you visit it using a browser technology called webRequest API. This way, they can block or change the requests that match their rules before the website sees them.
The Changes to Ad Blockers
However, this way of blocking ads has changed with Manifest V3 in effect, a new set of rules for making extensions for Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers like Edge, Opera, and Vivaldi. Google Manifest V3 wants to make extensions safer, faster, and more private by changing how they work and what they can do. But it also gets rid of the old way of stopping or changing requests and replacing it with a new way called declarativeNetRequest API.
Instead of allowing extensions to intercept and modify requests dynamically, this update makes extensions use a fixed set of rules to stop or change requests before they happen. This means that extensions will have less control and flexibility (i.e. less power and choice) over how they filter requests.
Moreover, the declarativeNetRequest API imposes a limit on the number of rules that extensions can use. The filters/rules for blocking requests are forced to be bundled with the extension when it updates, which will make blocklist updates happen less often. This is another way that Manifest V3 is harmful to users.
These changes will affect the way ad blockers work in several ways:
1. They limit the ability of ad blockers to block or modify requests (and limited to a specific number of rules).
2. They reduce the effectiveness of ad blockers in blocking complex ads. For instance, your adblocker may not work on YouTube.
3. They handicap or, in some instances, totally prevent ad blockers from using advanced features that rely on modifying the content or appearance of websites after they are loaded.
What This Means for Ad Blocker Users
As an ad blocker user, you may wonder why your adblocker is not working and what you can do about it. The answer is that Manifest V3 has worsened your online experience by reducing your control and choice over how you block ads online. You may encounter more ads that are harder to block or filter, more tracking and surveillance that are harder to prevent or evade, and more risks and threats that are harder to detect or avoid.
However, this does not mean that you have to give up on your right to block ads online or to protect your privacy and security online. You can still take some measures to balance your concerns with online advertising and to safeguard your online rights and interests.
One of these measures is to use a reliable ad blocker that has adapted to the changes brought by Manifest V3 and that can offer you more than just blocking ads. One such ad blocker is Ghostery, a powerful and versatile tool that can help you block ads, trackers, and other unwanted elements on the web. Ghostery can also help you customize your browsing experience, optimize your website performance, and enhance your online privacy and security.
Ghostery is compatible with Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers, as well as Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Edge. Ghostery is also compliant with Manifest V3, which means that it will continue to work seamlessly and effectively even after the changes are implemented.
The Future of Ad Blockers
Your ad blocker is not working and the impact of these changes on the future of ad blockers is uncertain but significant. Some ad blocker developers have expressed their concerns and criticisms about Manifest V3 and its implications for their products and users. They argue that Manifest V3 will degrade the performance and functionality of ad blockers, compromise the user’s privacy and security, and favor the interests of advertisers and publishers over those of users.
Some users have also explored possible alternatives to traditional ad blocking software in light of Google’s Manifest V3. These alternatives include using VPNs to filter requests before they reach the browser, using DNS-based solutions to block requests at the network level, or using ad-blockers that have adapted to these changes.
Another alternative is to switch away from Chrome or Chromium-based browsers (like Edge or Opera) to browsers such as Firefox and Ghostery Private Browser, ad blockers have more options to block ads and trackers, without relying solely on set rules or blocklists. Specifically, Ghostery uses an algorithm that analyzes the behavior and characteristics of tracking requests and blocks them if they match certain criteria.
Unfortunately, because of the recent changes in Chromium-based browsers, cannot replicate this anti-tracking protection in those browsers, relying mostly on blocklists.
Final Thoughts
Ad blockers are facing a major change that will affect their functionality and performance with the release of Manifest V3. This change will limit the ability of ad blockers to block or filter unwanted requests and will impose a limit on the number of rules that they can use. This will affect the way ad blockers work and will impact their effectiveness in filtering ads, trackers, and other unwanted elements on the web.
If you care about your online privacy and security, you need Ghostery. Ghostery is a browser extension that blocks ads, trackers, cookie popups and other unwanted elements on the web. Ghostery also lets you customize your browsing experience and optimize your browsing experience. Ghostery works with all major browsers and adapts to the latest changes in web standards.
Download Ghostery for free and take control of your online experience.
