---
slug: time-to-ditch-chrome
title: "Time to Ditch Chrome"
date: "2024-06-02T11:00:00-04:00"
---

This week [Google announced they are moving forward with the plan
deprecate Manifest V2][ars-chrome-nonsense].  Despite claims by Google,
this change has [nothing to do with security][eff-manifest-v3] and
everything to do with hobbling [ad-blockers][ad-blocker].

Last year [I switched to Firefox][post-firefox-redux] in anticipation of
this change and in response to several other user-hostile changes,

At this point I recommend everyone do the following:

1. Switch to a non-[Chrome][] browser.  I recommend [Firefox][].
2. Install an [ad-blocker][].  I recommend [uBlock Origin][].

This recommendation applies even if you don't care about ads or privacy;
the current ["~~don't~~ be evil"][be-evil] incarnation of Google has
been a poor steward of [Chrome][] and it's only a matter of time before
they do something that you do care about.

**Update (2024-06-27):** Don't forget that [ad networks regularly serve
up malware as well][malware].

[firefox]: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/
  "Mozilla Firefox web browser."
[chrome]: https://www.google.com/chrome/
  "Google Chrome web browser"
[edge]: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge
  "Microsoft Edge web browser."
[ditch-chrome]: #time-toditch-chrome
  "Time to ditch Google Chrome"
[bookmarklet]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookmarklet
  "Web browser bookmark which contains a brief JavaScript script."
[ditch-chrome]: #time-to-ditch-chrome
  "Time to Ditch Chrome"
[ars-chrome-nonsense]: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/google-starts-deprecating-older-more-capable-chrome-extensions-next-week/
  "Google Chrome’s plan to limit ad blocking extensions kicks off next week (arstechnica.com)"
[post-firefox-redux]: {{< relref "posts/2023-12-02-firefox-redux.md" >}}
  "Firefox Redux"
[ad-blocker]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_blocking
  "Ad blocker"
[ublock origin]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UBlock_Origin
  "uBlock Origin ad-blocker"
[eff-manifest-v3]: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/07/googles-plans-chrome-extensions-wont-really-help-security
  "Google's Plans for Chrome Extensions Won't Really Help Security (eff.org)"
[be-evil]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_be_evil#Use_in_criticism_of_Google
  "Don't Be Evil, v2.0"
[malware]: https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/06/mac-info-stealer-malware-distributed-through-google-ads/
  "Mac Info-Stealer Malware Distributed Through Google Ads (arstechnica.com)"