Why I Switched to Firefox (Again)
I've gone back and forth between Firefox and Chrome more times than I care to admit. Every time I go back to Chrome it's because of some convenience — usually something Google-specific that just works better. And every time I go back to Firefox it's because Chrome has done something that annoys me enough to act.
This time it was Manifest V3.
If you're not familiar, Manifest V3 is Google's new extension framework that, among other things, significantly limits what ad blockers can do. uBlock Origin — the best ad blocker available — has a Lite version for MV3, but it's noticeably less capable than the full version.
Google's reasoning is that MV3 improves security and privacy. I'll leave you to form your own opinion on whether a company that makes the majority of its revenue from advertising limiting ad blockers is really about "privacy."
The Switch
Moving to Firefox is always less painful than I expect. I imported my bookmarks, signed into Firefox Sync, and installed uBlock Origin (the full, non-Lite version). Done. Everything just worked.
I've been on Firefox for about three weeks now and I genuinely don't miss Chrome. The browser is fast, extensions work as expected, and I've been pleasantly surprised by how much Firefox has improved since I last used it properly.
A Note on Firefox's Business Model
Firefox isn't perfect. Mozilla still makes most of its money from a deal with Google to be the default search engine, which is its own flavour of uncomfortable. But I'd rather use a browser from a non-profit with a flawed business model than a browser from a company whose entire business is advertising.
I'm not going back this time. Probably.