Google Claims Chrome 'Isn't Killing Ad Blockers', But 'Making Them Safer'

Google Chrome has been in the news for restricting ad blockers. The search giant last year proposed the Manifest V3 standard that is designed to replace the existing WebRequest API with the new DeclarativeNetRequest API to limit ad blocking capabilities of browser extensions. But now, a detailed blog post has been released to clarify that the new move isn't to kill ad blockers -- instead, it is claimed to be aimed at making them safer and bringing a faster Web browsing experience altogether. The shift to the new extension API is also touted to enable developers to build better performing ad blockers.

In October 2018, Google announced the arrival of its Manifest v3 that ultimately debuted in January to set the pitch for the DeclarativeNetRequest API. The company faced a growing chorus of criticism for restricting ad blockers through its new API. Late last month, it announced that it will continue to support full ad blocking features for enterprise users.

This time, Google has once again detailed its move and highlighted that instead of completely killing ad blockers on Chrome, the adoption of the new extension API will make them safer for users. The company alleges that while the traditionally used WebRequest API enables extensions to have access to read and manipulate "everything a user does" on the browser, the DeclarativeNetRequest API register rules that limit the access of user information.

Google claims that the WebRequest API requires the Chrome browser to send all the data in network request to the extension, including sensitive data such as photos and emails. This, in the company views, has led to malware activities on the Web. It even mentioned that since January last year, 42 percent of malicious extensions use the WebRequest API.