Firefox Has Integrated Brave's Adblock Engine

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Impact on uBlock Origin and Built‑In Blocking

  • Some wonder if Firefox’s new adblock engine benefits users of uBlock Origin or could be exposed to extensions.
  • Observations: current implementation seems to rely on uBO-style lists but lacks cosmetic filtering, leaving empty ad slots.
  • Several expect Mozilla is still integrating it and that it will primarily power Enhanced Tracking Protection rather than replace full adblockers.

Manifest V2/V3 and Extension Future

  • Strong concern that native blocking may be used to justify dropping MV2, limiting advanced adblockers.
  • Others argue:
    • Firefox’s MV3 keeps powerful APIs (e.g., webRequestBlocking) that Chrome removed.
    • Most MV2-only issues relate to Chromium, not Firefox.
  • Mozilla’s statement (via Reddit) says:
    • They are testing Brave’s Rust component to process tracker lists.
    • They have “no plans” to abandon MV2 and want adblockers to “work best” in Firefox.
  • Some distrust “no plans” language, reading it as eventual deprecation.

Browser Choice, Privacy, and Ecosystem

  • Many see uBlock Origin on Firefox as the gold standard; some say it’s the main reason to use Firefox.
  • Others have switched to Brave, praising speed, integrated blocking, and scriptlets, but often disable or distrust its crypto, ads, and promotional toggles.
  • Debate over whether Firefox is “alienating” users vs. unfairly singled out compared to Chromium browsers that add similar features.
  • Some advocate Firefox forks (LibreWolf, Waterfox, IronFox) but note they are dependent on Mozilla’s upstream work.

Alternatives and Network‑Level Blocking

  • Alternative browsers mentioned: Brave, Vivaldi, various Chromium forks on Android (Cromite, Ultimatum, Helium, Elixir), plus experimental engines like Ladybird.
  • Mobile users want Firefox‑level blocking and extensions on iOS/Android; iOS’s WebKit requirement limits parity.
  • Network/MITM proxies are proposed as browser‑independent blockers, though increasingly challenged by same‑domain ads and encrypted content.

Politics and Ethics

  • Some object to Firefox adopting technology from Brave given past controversies around leadership.
  • Others counter that open‑source reuse doesn’t benefit individual leaders directly and can reduce Brave’s competitive edge.