Google is about to finish what it started: Chrome versions 150 and 151, expected in late June and July respectively, will eliminate the final workarounds that have kept older ad blockers alive in the browser, according to The Verge, citing a report from 9to5Google.
The story begins with Manifest V2, the technical framework that popular ad-blocking extensions like uBlock Origin were built on. Google began phasing out Manifest V2 support in 2024, replacing it with Manifest V3 — a newer system that critics argue gives websites and advertisers more power to resist blocking. When that transition happened, some users found ways to keep their old extensions running through unofficial loopholes.
Those loopholes are now being sealed shut. Chrome 150 and 151 will close the remaining escape hatches, meaning users who have been hanging on with legacy ad blockers will finally be forced to either switch to Manifest V3-compatible alternatives or move to a different browser entirely.
Alternatives do exist — Firefox, for instance, has committed to maintaining Manifest V2 support indefinitely, and Brave has its own built-in ad blocking that operates independently of extensions. Some Manifest V3-based ad blockers have also emerged, though their effectiveness compared to older tools remains debated.
This matters because it marks the definitive end of Chrome's tolerance for a class of tools that hundreds of millions of people have used to control what they see online — and because Google, which generates the vast majority of its revenue from advertising, is the company drawing that line.