[2503.01000] Privacy vs. Profit: The Impact of Google's Manifest Version 3 (MV3) Update on Ad Blocker Effectiveness

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Computer Science > Computers and Society

arXiv:2503.01000 (cs)

[Submitted on 2 Mar 2025 (v1), last revised 30 Aug 2025 (this version, v2)]

Title:Privacy vs. Profit: The Impact of Google's Manifest Version 3 (MV3) Update on Ad Blocker Effectiveness

Authors:Karlo Lukic, Lazaros Papadopoulos<br>View a PDF of the paper titled Privacy vs. Profit: The Impact of Google's Manifest Version 3 (MV3) Update on Ad Blocker Effectiveness, by Karlo Lukic and Lazaros Papadopoulos

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Abstract:Google's recent update to the manifest file for Chrome browser extensions, transitioning from manifest version 2 (MV2) to manifest version 3 (MV3), has raised concerns among users and ad blocker providers, who worry that the new restrictions, notably the shift from the powerful WebRequest API to the more restrictive DeclarativeNetRequest API, might reduce ad blocker effectiveness. Because ad blockers play a vital role for millions of users seeking a more private and ad-free browsing experience, this study empirically investigates how the MV3 update affects their ability to block ads and trackers. Through a browser-based experiment conducted across multiple samples of ad-supported websites, we compare the MV3 to MV2 instances of four widely used ad blockers. Our results reveal no statistically significant reduction in ad-blocking or anti-tracking effectiveness for MV3 ad blockers compared to their MV2 counterparts, and in some cases, MV3 instances even exhibit slight improvements in blocking trackers. These findings are reassuring for users, indicating that the MV3 instances of popular ad blockers continue to provide effective protection against intrusive ads and privacy-infringing trackers. While some uncertainties remain, ad blocker providers appear to have successfully navigated the MV3 update, finding solutions that maintain the core functionality of their extensions.

Comments:<br>24 pages, 11 figures. Accepted to Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PoPETs), Volume 2026, Issue 1

Subjects:

Computers and Society (cs.CY); General Economics (econ.GN)

MSC classes:<br>K.4.0, K.6.5, H.5.2

ACM classes:<br>K.4.0; K.6.5; H.5.2

Cite as:<br>arXiv:2503.01000 [cs.CY]

(or<br>arXiv:2503.01000v2 [cs.CY] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2503.01000

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arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite

Submission history<br>From: Karlo Lukic [view email]<br>[v1]<br>Sun, 2 Mar 2025 19:41:34 UTC (582 KB)

[v2]<br>Sat, 30 Aug 2025 04:41:20 UTC (5,529 KB)

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