uBlock Origin Lite maker ends Firefox support due to “hostile” dispute with Mozilla

Raymond Hill, creator of the popular ad blocker uBlock Origin, recently received two emails from Mozilla regarding his Firefox add-on uBlock Origin Lite. This version is designed to be compatible with Manifest V3, a specification that will replace Manifest V2 in Chromium-based browsers. The emails from Mozilla highlighted several violations, including the lack of user consent for data collection, the presence of minified or machine-generated code, and the absence of a privacy policy.

In response, Hill refuted these claims, asserting that uBlock Origin Lite does not collect any data, contains no minified code in the cited files, and includes a privacy policy link on its add-on page. Despite his rebuttal, Mozilla has disabled the extension on the Firefox Add-ons Store. Frustrated by what he describes as a “nonsensical and hostile” decision, Hill announced he will discontinue the Firefox version of uBlock Origin Lite due to the “added burden of dealing with AMO nonsensical and hostile review process”.

It's important to note that these issues pertain solely to uBlock Origin Lite and do not affect the main uBlock Origin extension.