Google has made some changes to the controversial extension API Manifest v3, which will result in less restrictive limitations for ad blockers, among other alterations. Additionally, the company announced a new timeline for the transition: Google plans to initiate the end of Manifest v2 by mid-next year in a recent blog post.
The corporation has repeatedly delayed its plans to deactivate Manifest v2. This was due to critical feedback from developers, which Google has now incorporated into the latest changes to Manifest v3. Providers of ad blockers can anticipate somewhat more lenient regulations regarding content filtering as a result.
Google Eases Rules for Content Filtering
In a separate blog post, Google explains that Manifest v3 now allows developers to create up to 100 static rule sets, with up to 50 being active simultaneously. Previously, the maximum permitted rule sets were 50, with only a maximum of 10 being active. This change will be rolled out with Google Chrome’s Version 120. Firefox and Safari are also expected to support these new limits.
Furthermore, Google aims to allow up to 30,000 dynamic rule sets starting from Chrome 121, up from the previous 5,000. However, this increase applies only to rules categorized by the corporation as “lower risk.” For all other rules, the previous limit of 5,000 will still apply. Additionally, since Chrome 118, rules filtering by URL no longer differentiate between uppercase and lowercase, significantly reducing the size of rule sets.
Manifest v2 Set to Disappear by June 2024
As per the current schedule, starting June 2024, Google plans to automatically deactivate browser extensions that still rely on Manifest v2. Chrome 127 in the Dev, Canary, and Beta channels will lead the way. Extensions based on Manifest v2 will also no longer be available for download or installation from the Chrome Web Store after the transition.
Despite Manifest v3 appearing less restrictive for ad blocker use post-changes, Alexei Miagkov from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) criticized Google to The Verge, stating that Google is still imposing unnecessary restrictions on developers. While the changes are helpful, Miagkov notes they only represent enhancements to a system that was inherently limited from the start.
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