U Block Origins
uBlock Origin – Free, open-source ad content blocker.
Easy on CPU and memory.
uBlock Origin is not just an “ad blocker“, it’s a wide-spectrum content blocker with CPU and memory efficiency as a primary feature.
Open-source ad blocker
The uBlock Origin is a free and open-source, cross-platform browser extension for content filtering—primarily aimed at neutralizing privacy invasion in an efficient, user-friendly method.
CPU and memory efficiency
Globally, uBlock Origin could save consumers more than $1. 8 billion/year(study). Open source ad blockers are a potentially effective technology for energy conservation.
Various browsers support
uBlock Origin’s extension is available for several of the most widely used browsers, including: Chrome, Chromium, MS Edge, Opera, Firefox and all Safari releases prior to 13.
About uBlock Origin
In 2014 uBlock Origin’s founder, original author and lead developer, Raymond Hill, created the original uBlock extension, with its development initiated by forking the codebase of
HTTP Switchboard with a separate blocking extension, uMatrix, which had been previously designed for advanced users. The initial uBlock was developed by Raymond Hill in order to enable
community-maintained block lists while simultaneously adding additional features and upgrading the code quality to proper release standards. First released in June 2014 as an exclusive Chrome and
Opera extension, in late 2015 the initial uBlock extension expanded to other browsers under its current name – uBlock Origin.
(occasionally represented globally as – uBlock₀).
Following this 2015 introduction, a collaborative comsource and Sourcepoint industry research survey reported an 833% growth rate over a 10-month period ending in August 2016, the most rapid growth among
any industry software publicly listed at that time. This report attributed this enormous surge to collective user demand for “pure” blockers with the capacity to operate outside the “acceptable advertising” program used by AdBlock,
and other industry extensions.
Quickly gaining traction throughout the entire ad-blocking industry, the uBlock Origin Firefox version collected over 5 million active users, with its Chrome extension subsequently compiling over 10
million active users. Developer Nik Rolls then officially released uBlock Origin for the Microsoft Edge browser in December 2016.
In January 2017, uBlock Origin was added to the repositories for Debian 9, and Ubuntu (16. 04), and the uBlock Origin extension was awarded the prestigious IoT honor of “Pick of the
Month” by Mozilla.
As of 2021, uBlock Origin continues to be maintained and actively developed by founder and lead developer Raymond Hill.
The uBlock Origin extension remains an industry leading, open-source, cross-platform browser extension with software developed specifically for multiple platform use, and as of 2021, uBlock Origin’s extension is available
for several of the most widely used browsers, including: Chrome, Chromium, Edge, Opera, Firefox and all Safari releases prior to 13.
The uBlock Origin project still specifically refuses donations at this time, and instead advises all of its clients, users and supporters to donate to block list maintainers.
uBlock Origin – Get this Extension for Firefox (en-US)
uBlock Origin is not an “ad blocker”, it’s a wide-spectrum content blocker with CPU and memory efficiency as a primary feature. ***Out of the box, these lists of filters are loaded and enforced:- EasyList (ads)- Peter Lowe’s Ad server list (ads and tracking)- EasyPrivacy (tracking)- Malware domainsMore lists are available for you to select if you wish:- Fanboy’s Enhanced Tracking List- Dan Pollock’s hosts file- MVPS HOSTS- Spam404- And many othersAdditionally, you can point-and-click to block JavaScript locally or globally, create your own global or local rules to override entries from filter lists, and many more advanced features. *** source with public license (GPLv3)For users by ever you really do want to contribute something, think about the people working hard to maintain the filter lists you are using, which were made available to use by all for free. ***DocumentationRelease notesCommunity support @ RedditContributors @ GitHubContributors @ Crowdin
Are ad blocker programs illegal for you to use?
We most likely agree that online ads can be irritating and sometimes downright obtrusive to our browsing experience.
So, it’s only natural that, if we could, we would somehow minimize seeing ads, if not somehow get rid of them altogether.
An ad blocker does exactly that.
It prevents pop-up ads, auto-play videos and other annoying ploys designed to attract our attention.
Maybe you’re wondering: Is that legal?
The short answer is: YES
“Block that ad! ”
In fact, multiple court cases have already upheld your user rights to filter our own “ requests”—to decide which content and other information enter our network system and devices.
An ad blocker is just another tool in a long list of online security and privacy tools that enable us to do this.
Of course, this means that it’s not so popular with advertisers, publishers and website owners who depend on advertising for revenue.
Ben Williams, a blogger for Adblock Plus, wrote this:
“It may surprise readers of this blog to know that some advertiser groups believe blocking ads is illegal. They are upset that ad blockers impede their multibillion-dollar business (or in this case, euros) of shoveling ads at you whether or not you like it or asked for it. In fact, a group of publishers in Hamburg, Germany was so upset that they actually took Adblock Plus to court. Today, after a four-month trial, reasonable heads prevailed as the regional court in Hamburg ruled in our favor by declaring that ad blocking is, in fact, perfectly legal. ”
It’s not ad-blocking that’s illegal.
It’s the circumvention of ‘technological measures’ that is.
Ad blockers don’t just block ads.
Most current-generation ad blockers have an additional layer of technology that goes around technological defenses of ad-block-detection scripts used by publishers.
And that’s where the rub is.
There are some things you can’t do.
Circumvention of access controls is expressly against the law in Europe, the U. S. and in all signatory-nations of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.
The anti-circumvention law is a legal framework on copyright and related rights enacted for fostering “substantial investment in creativity and innovation, including network infrastructure, and lead in turn to growth and increased competitiveness…both in the area of content provision and information technology and more generally across a wide range of industrial and cultural sectors. This will safeguard employment and encourage new job creation. ”
In short, you’re free to block ads, but interfering with the publisher’s right to serve or restrict access to copyrighted content in a manner they approve of (access control) is illegal.
Here’s an example that might explain it:
If a publisher uses access-control technologies, such as BlockAdblock, to prevent users—or restrict browsers equipped with ad-blocking plug-in—from accessing or selectively downloading their site’s copyrighted content without the accompanying advertising, that “defense” should be left alone to be implemented.
Facebook is one of the companies known for successfully fighting back hard against ad blockers. After several rounds of modifying the code for presenting ads on their site, plug-ins are unable to identify the ads and effectively block them, without causing the design of the website to crash or be less usable.
As you can see, this simple issue gets somewhat complicated, fast.
The bottom line?
You have the right to filter your browsing experience, in the same way publishers have the right to choose who they serve their content to, and make money from, in the process.
How can we all get along?
The utopian version would be privacy experts and content creators coming together to develop new forms of nonintrusive ads that are useful, relevant and possibly even welcome to users.
Until then…
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Frequently Asked Questions about u block origins
Is uBlock origin illegal?
In fact, a group of publishers in Hamburg, Germany was so upset that they actually took Adblock Plus to court. Today, after a four-month trial, reasonable heads prevailed as the regional court in Hamburg ruled in our favor by declaring that ad blocking is, in fact, perfectly legal.”
Is uBlock better than AdBlock?
Ublock is lighter and probably faster than AdBlock Plus, but if you are using AdBlock Plus with just a few filters instead of many then the difference is not noticeable. I use a customized small filter for AdBlock Plus and it is very fast. As for CSS ads and elements, these can be easily blocked in AdBlock Plus.Jun 6, 2021
Does uBlock origin still work?
As of 2021, uBlock Origin continues to be maintained and actively developed by founder and lead developer Raymond Hill. … The uBlock Origin project still specifically refuses donations at this time, and instead advises all of its clients, users and supporters to donate to block list maintainers.