Microsoft Edge is about to lock out older ad blockers, just like Chrome did
Microsoft is phasing out support for Manifest V2 extensions in the Edge browser, which will disable older ad blockers like uBlock Origin. Users are being encouraged to transition to the newer Manifest V3 platform or switch to alternative browsers.
Why it matters
This change impacts how users manage online privacy and advertising, following a similar industry-wide shift initiated by Google Chrome that limits the capabilities of traditional ad-blocking software.
Microsoft Edge is ending support for the Manifest V2 extensions platform, which will cut off the uBlock Origin adblocker and others like it, just like Google Chrome did earlier this year. According to Microsoft, there are only 58 extensions on the Edge Add-On Store “with any meaningful usage” that still use MV2, and only three of those aren’t available on the newer MV3 platform.
Anyone still using these extensions can switch to a different adblocker, like uBlock Origin Lite. Or they could use a different browser, like Opera, which still supports existing MV2 extensions and says it will continue to do so “for as long as it’s technically reasonable,” or switch to another browser like Firefox.
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