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Facebook ads are so hard to block that uBlock Origin stopped filtering them
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Illustration only Photo by Zouhir Zouhir on Unsplash
uBlock Origin no longer attempts to block Facebook ads due to their difficulty to filter.
Engineers who rely on uBlock Origin for ad blocking may now see Facebook ads appear in their browsers. This suggests that Facebook's ad delivery techniques have become resistant to conventional filter lists. Developers may need to consider alternative blocking strategies or accept reduced ad-blocking effectiveness.
Written by elseif from the cluster below · every claim links back to a sourceThe three things worth knowing
uBlock Origin has ceased filtering Facebook ads.
The decision stems from the difficulty of blocking Facebook ads.
This change may affect users who depend on uBlock Origin for ad removal.
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The change is that uBlock Origin stopped filtering Facebook ads because they are hard to block. This means the filter list no longer includes rules targeting Facebook's ad elements. Users of uBlock Origin will therefore not see those ads blocked by the extension.
For engineers maintaining or deploying ad-blocking solutions, the effort to keep up with Facebook's ad delivery may increase. Maintaining effective filter lists could require more frequent updates or entirely different approaches. Accepting that some ads will slip through may become a necessary trade-off.
The approach of relying solely on filter-based blocking stops working for Facebook ads under the current conditions. Other filter-based blockers may encounter similar challenges if they use the same techniques. Consequently, users might observe Facebook ads despite having an active ad blocker installed.
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