一月的時候 Google 就提出了「Manifest V3」，打算閹掉 extension 透過 webRequest 攔截連線的能力，而這個功能就是 uBlock Origin 這類 ad blocker 的基礎。
當時 Google 宣稱 webRequest 嚴重影響瀏覽器效能，但 Ghostery 的團隊則做了實驗證明影響極小：「Ad blocker performance study in response to Manifest V3 finds that Ghostery's ad blocker beats the competition」、「Google遭證據打臉，廣告封鎖程式幾乎不影響Chrome效能」。
All content-blockers except DuckDuckGo have sub-millisecond median decision time per request.
另外在 Alphabet (Google 母公司) 遞交給美國證管會的資料 (FORM 10-K) 可以看到他們把 ad blocker 視為威脅：「goog10-kq42018.htm」。
New and existing technologies could affect our ability to customize ads and/or could block ads online, which would harm our business.
Technologies have been developed to make customizable ads more difficult or to block the display of ads altogether and some providers of online services have integrated technologies that could potentially impair the core functionality of third-party digital advertising. Most of our Google revenues are derived from fees paid to us in connection with the display of ads online. As a result, such technologies and tools could adversely affect our operating results.
所以後續的行為就很清楚了，他們決定 Manifest V3 還是會閹掉 webRequest (以有效抑制 ad blocker 的能力，反正繼續堅持效能問題，當作沒聽到)，只開放企業版本使用：「Google to restrict modern ad blocking Chrome extensions to enterprise users」。
在 Mozilla 愈來愈不成氣候的情況下，現在要看的戲應該是 Google 是否會因此受到 anti-trust 的挑戰呢...