uBlock Origin (or uBlock0) is not an ad blocker; it's a general-purpose blocker. uBlock0 blocks ads through its support of the Adblock Plus filter syntax. uBlock0 extends the syntax and is designed to work with custom rules and filters.
That said, it's important to note that using a blocker is NOT theft. Don't fall for this creepy idea. The ultimate logical consequence of blocking = theft is the criminalisation of the inalienable right to privacy.
Ads, "unintrusive" or not, are just the visible portions of privacy-invading apparatus entering your browser when you visit most sites nowadays. uBlock0's main goal is to help users neutralize such privacy-invading apparatus — in a way that welcomes those users who don't wish to use more technical, involved means (such as µMatrix).
EasyList, Peter Lowe's Adservers, EasyPrivacy and Malware domains are enabled by default when you install uBlock0. Many more lists are readily available to block trackers, analytics, and more. Hosts files are also supported.
Once you install uBlock0, you may easily un-select any of the pre-selected filter lists if you think uBlock0 blocks too much. For reference, Adblock Plus installs with only EasyList enabled by default.
Changes
Element picker
The element picker has been beefed-up:
- It will now offer as filter choice background images, if any. (#1202)
-
When you click on an element on the page, it will report all elements found under the mouse.
- Previously, the picker would report filters only for the element clicked and its ancestors.
- Filters for media elements will now be offered, if any. (#1545)
- You can now preview the effect of the selected filter on the page. (#650)
Chromium-based browsers
It is now possible to block websocket connections for Chromium-based browsers. (Chromium issue, #956, #1497):
Ability to filter websocket connections like any other network requests will take care of a new breed of ad-delivery techniques seen on more and more sites, and currently existing protocol-independent filters in filter lists will take care to filter out many of these websocket connections just like they did for http/https connections. For those wholesale-blocking 3rd parties on a site, websocket connections to 3rd-party servers will no longer escape the block.
Examples of cases solved by the ability to filter websocket connections with no need for special filters:
- https://forums.lanik.us/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=30068&p=92706
- https://forums.lanik.us/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=29304&p=91894
Making uBO aware of websocket connections also allows it to report these connections to the user, through the logger or through the dynamic filtering pane in the popup panel.
Closed as fixed:
Chromium
- Unable to block websockets. (see #1497).
Firefox
Core
- Preferring document over popup filters
-
Redirection fails for filters having
:in the host part - Element picker does not offer a filter to block the clicked video element
- A "no-popups: * true" rule will block new tabs opened from "chrome://extensions/"
- [Request] Block Background Ads
- [Suggestion] Preview element picker filters