uBlock Origin ceases Facebook filter maintenance as Mozilla adds iOS ad-blocking

The uBlock Origin team has announced it will no longer actively maintain filters specifically for Facebook. While existing rules will remain in the filter lists, the team will no longer provide updates or repairs when Facebook changes its code to bypass them. The decision is attributed to the increasing difficulty of keeping up with Facebook’s technical methods, such as breaking up the “Sponsored” label into separate, non-visible elements to evade pattern matching.

In a separate development, Mozilla has announced the rollout of a native ad-blocking feature for Firefox on iOS. This move is seen as a strategic response to market shifts, including Microsoft’s plans to limit ad-blocker support in the Edge browser. Mozilla clarified that this native integration is intended to complement, rather than replace, existing third-party extensions like uBlock Origin. Additionally, Firefox for Android has received updates including stability fixes and support for the Event Timing API and CSS forced-colors to improve accessibility.