Latest news with #uBlockOrigin
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Google blocked uBlock Origin in Chrome — here's how to get ad-free browsing back
Google's Chrome 138 update killed uBlock Origin and other popular extensions, leaving millions without their favorite ad blocker. While Google claims this improves security, many users just want ad blocking back — especially when YouTube hits you with double ads and streaming services like Peacock force commercial breaks. In this guide, we'll show you two ways to restore uBlock Origin in Chrome — whether you already have it installed and need to re-enable it, or you're starting fresh and want to install it from scratch. Both methods involve enabling hidden Chrome flags that temporarily bring back support for older extensions. This workaround won't last forever, as Google plans to remove these flags in future updates, but it buys you some time to enjoy ad-free browsing. Here's how to re-enable or install uBlock Origin in Chrome. Open Google Chrome and type "chrome://flags" into the address bar, then press Enter to access Chrome's experimental features page. Search for "Temporarily unexpire M137 flags" and set it to "Enabled." This flag allows you to access older Chrome settings that Google has started to phase out. Then click the blue "Relaunch" button at the bottom of the page to restart Chrome with this setting enabled. Go back to chrome://flags and search for "MV2" to quickly find all Manifest V2-related settings. You need to disable these three specific flags that are blocking older extensions: "Extension Manifest V2 Deprecation Warning Stage", "Extension Manifest V2 Deprecation Disabled Stage" and "Extension Manifest V2 Deprecation Unsupported Stage." Set each of these flags to "Disabled" by clicking their dropdown menus. These flags are what's preventing uBlock Origin and other older extensions from working properly in the current version of Chrome. Still on the chrome://flags page, search for "Allow legacy extension manifest versions" and set it to "Enabled". This flag tells Chrome to accept and run extensions built with the older Manifest V2 framework that uBlock Origin uses. Then click the "Relaunch" button again to restart Chrome with all your new flag settings active. After Chrome restarts, your existing uBlock Origin extension should automatically reactivate and start blocking ads again. You should see the uBlock Origin icon appear in your browser toolbar, indicating it's working properly. Open Google Chrome and type "chrome://flags" into the address bar, then press Enter. This takes you to Chrome's experimental features page where you can enable hidden settings that Google doesn't include in regular menus. The flags page looks different from normal web pages, with a warning that these features are experimental. Don't worry though, the changes we're making are safe and reversible. Use the search box at the top of the page to find specific flags quickly rather than scrolling through hundreds of options. This page contains advanced settings that can modify how Chrome behaves with extensions and other features. Search for "Allow legacy extension manifest versions" in the flags search box and you'll see the setting appear with a dropdown menu next to it. Click the dropdown and change it from "Default" to "Enabled." This flag tells Chrome to accept older-style extensions like uBlock Origin that use Manifest V2. Chrome will show a blue "Relaunch" button at the bottom of the page— click it to restart the browser with your new settings. After restarting, Chrome will now accept the older extension format that uBlock Origin uses. Go to the uBlock Origin GitHub page at to download the latest version directly from the developers. Look for the "Assets" section under the most recent release and click on the file that ends with " This contains the Chrome-compatible version of uBlock Origin. It will automatically save to your computer once clicked. Type "chrome://extensions" in Chrome's address bar to open the extensions management page. Look for the "Developer mode" toggle in the top-right corner and turn it on if it's not already enabled. This allows you to install extensions from files rather than the Chrome Web Store. Click the "Load unpacked" button that appears in the top-left corner of the extensions page. Navigate to the folder where you extracted the uBlock Origin files and select it. Chrome will install the extension directly from the folder, bypassing the Web Store restrictions. Close and reopen Chrome to ensure all settings take effect properly. You should now see the uBlock Origin icon in your browser toolbar, indicating the extension is active and working. Visit a website that normally shows ads to test that the ad blocker is functioning correctly. The extension should block advertisements just like it did before Google's update. Keep in mind that this workaround is temporary, Google plans to remove these flags in future Chrome updates, so you may need to consider switching to Firefox, Opera or Edge if you want long-term ad blocking. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
CNET
23-07-2025
- CNET
Here's How to Hide AI-Generated Images in Search Results in DuckDuckGo
With a new tool built into DuckDuckGo's privacy-focused search engine, you can hide AI-generated images from your search results, which could help ensure you see fewer misleading or fake photos. The filter isn't on by default, though, so you have to enable it. Here's how. 1. Go to 2. Search for an image, something like "baby peacock." 3. Go to the Images tab. 4. Click AI Images: show to open a dropdown menu. 5. Click Hide. DuckDuckGo DuckDuckGo said in an email to CNET that the image filter relies on open-source blocklists from uBlockOrigin and uBlacklist Huge AI Blocklist. CNET's Katelyn Chedraoui covers AI, like chatbots and image generators, and she thinks tools like this are a great way to give people more control over their search experiences. However, she said these tools aren't perfect. "AI images are impossible to escape online," Chedraoui said. "There's no silver bullet for weeding out AI." DuckDuckGo conceded in its email to CNET that this filter won't stop every AI-generated image result. But the company said that the filter "will greatly reduce the number of AI-generated images you see." The company said it plans on adding more filters in the future. For more on DuckDuckGo, here's what to know about the privacy-focused search engine, five reasons why you should use it and what to know about its VPN service.
Tom's Guide
22-07-2025
- Tom's Guide
DuckDuckGo becomes first browser to add AI image filter — here's what you need to know
AI-generated images are everywhere. The internet is full of them, and as they become harder to identify, it's going to cause all kinds of chaos. But, the privacy-focused DuckDuckGo browser seems to think it has the solution. Known for its security-forward protection, DuckDuckGo has taken a strong angle on the use of AI. Most recently, this has focused in on AI images, and users can now filter out all AI art from your searches. This can be done through a change of settings. Head to the image tab on DuckDuckGo and you'll see a drop-down menu titled 'AI images'. Users can then choose to either show or hide content with this update. Our philosophy about AI features is private, useful, and optional. 'Our philosophy about AI features is private, useful, and optional.' Our goal is to help you find what you're looking for. You should decide for yourself how much AI you want in your life – or if you want any at all,' stated DuckDuckGo on the company's X page. 'The filter relies on manually curated open-source blocklists, including the 'nuclear' list, provided by uBlockOrigin and uBlacklist Huge AI Blocklist. While it won't catch 100% of AI-generated results, it will greatly reduce the number of AI-generated images you see.' In the same announcement, the company showed a video searching for baby peacocks, filtering out all of the AI images. This is a thinly veiled joke, referring to a problem where Google image search became full of fake images of baby peacocks. New setting: hide AI-generated images in DuckDuckGoOur philosophy about AI features is 'private, useful, and optional.' Our goal is to help you find what you're looking for. You should decide for yourself how much AI you want in your life – or if you want any at all. (1/4) 14, 2025 Not too long ago, AI images were instantly identifiable. Hands had too many fingers, faces were blurred and the texture of the images were all completely off. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Now is a different story. Most of the leading AI generators are incredibly capable and, a vast majority of the time, can produce an image that is convincing, even when you look into the details of it. Companies are trying different methods to solve this. Some are adding watermarks or digital identifiers. Some like DuckDuckGo are looking to identify them after they've been published, making these images clear to the public. This is a problem that is likely to grow in the following years. For now, AI video has a lot of catching up to do to be in a similar level as images, but it really won't be long until the same conversation is happening across the board. DuckDuckGo has said it plans on adding additional features in the future, but it hasn't made it clear exactly what it will be. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Sick of fake AI pics? DuckDuckGo's new filter lets you hide AI images for good
Are you sick of AI-generated pictures getting in the way of your image searches? DuckDuckGo has heard your complaints loud and clear. DuckDuckGo, a search engine that cares about privacy, just added a new feature that lets users hide AI-generated images from results. You can now conceal AI-generated images in search results using DuckDuckGo. DuckDuckGo is introducing a new feature that allows users to exclude AI images from search results. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Others Healthcare Project Management Data Science Cybersecurity healthcare PGDM MCA Technology CXO Leadership Operations Management others MBA Product Management Finance Degree Data Analytics Management Digital Marketing Artificial Intelligence Public Policy Data Science Design Thinking Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 months IIM Lucknow SEPO - IIML CHRO India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 28 Weeks MICA CERT-MICA SBMPR Async India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 16 Weeks Indian School of Business CERT-ISB Transforming HR with Analytics & AI India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Exec Cert Prog in AI for Biz India Starts on undefined Get Details Why did DuckDuckGo add this filter now? According to the company, the feature is being introduced in response to user feedback indicating that AI images may impede users' ability to find what they're looking for. By performing a search on DuckDuckGo and selecting the Images tab, users can access the new setting. They will then be presented with a new drop-down menu labeled "AI images." Live Events After that, users can select "show" or "hide" to indicate whether they wish to view AI content. By selecting the "Hide AI-Generated Images" option in their search settings, users can also activate the filter, as per a report by Tech Crunch. DuckDuckGo's latest feature coincides with the proliferation of AI slop, low-quality media content created with generative AI technology, on the internet. Does it completely remove AI content? According to a post on X by DuckDuckGo, "the filter relies on manually curated open-source blocklists, including the 'nuclear' list, provided by uBlockOrigin and uBlacklist Huge AI Blocklist." DuckDuckGo now allows you to filter out AI images in search results — Engadget (@engadget) July 18, 2025 "While it won't catch 100% of AI-generated results, it will greatly reduce the number of AI-generated images you see. " DuckDuckGo stated that it intends to add more filters in the future, but it gave no details. It's important to note that DuckDuckGo's example of the new feature shows an image search for a baby peacock. This is probably a reference to Google's controversy last year when it displayed more artificial intelligence-generated images of baby peacocks than actual images when users searched for the bird. DuckDuckGo looks like it's trying to be a cleaner, more reliable option for people who want real images instead of guesses made by machines. People want to be able to filter out AI-generated content as it becomes more common online, and DuckDuckGo now lets them do that. FAQs How can I block AI images in DuckDuckGo? Simply navigate to the Images tab and select the new "AI images" dropdown to hide them. Will it remove all AI images? Not entirely, but it will reduce the majority of them using open-source blocklists.
Indian Express
19-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
DuckDuckGo adds AI image filter and scam blocker to boost privacy and safety
DuckDuckGo is rolling out a new setting on their privacy-focused search engine where the user can filter AI images in search results. The feature was introduced following customer feedback who reported the inconvenience caused by AI images in search results. To access the new feature, users need to select the Images tab, which will show a drop-down with the option 'AI Images'. Later, users can either pick 'show' or 'hide' to indicate if they wish to view AI content in their search results. By selecting the 'Hide AI-Generated Images' option in their search preferences, users can activate the filter. DuckDuckGo's latest functionality coincides with the proliferation of AI slop, meaning low-quality media content created with generative AI on the internet. According to a post on X by DuckDuckGo, 'the filter relies on manually curated open-source blocklists, including the 'nuclear' list, provided by uBlockOrigin and uBlacklist Huge AI Blocklist.' It will significantly reduce the quantity of AI-generated images a user sees, even though it may not capture all AI-generated results. DuckDuckGo has made more than one improvement this week. The second tool serves as a wall restricting a variety of online threats and fraudulent online stores, false currency exchanges, scam survey websites, and those prompts of 'your device is infected'. The tool will prevent such websites from loading if a user happens to click on a questionable link. It displays a warning, informing them that the page has been reported for attempting to trick visitors into paying for fake items, installing harmful software, or giving over their money. Users can then securely close the window without allowing the website to load. In contrast to similar capabilities found in other browsers, DuckDuckGo's Scam Blocker is independent of Google's technology and does not monitor a user's online activity. Every 20 minutes, it retrieves updated lists of known harmful websites from security firm Netcraft, saves them locally on the device, and runs real-time checks—all without sending any data back to a server. With increasing cyber threats, browser companies have enhanced their scam blocker products that were initially developed to stop phishing and malware attacks on the user.
