Developers Insight On Manifest v3 Privacy and Security Webextensions

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Polčák, Libor, Maone, Giorgio, McMahon, Michael, Bednář, Martin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Polčák, Libor
Maone, Giorgio
McMahon, Michael
Bednář, Martin
author_facet Polčák, Libor
Maone, Giorgio
McMahon, Michael
Bednář, Martin
contents Webextensions can improve web browser privacy, security, and user experience. The APIs offered by the browser to webextensions affect possible functionality. Currently, Chrome transitions to a modified set of APIs called Manifest v3. This paper studies the challenges and opportunities of Manifest v3 with an in-depth structured qualitative research. Even though some projects observed positive effects, a majority expresses concerns over limited benefits to users, removal of crucial APIs, or the need to find workarounds. Our findings indicate that the transition affects different types of webextensions differently; some can migrate without losing functionality, while other projects remove functionality or decline to update. The respondents identified several critical missing APIs, including reliable APIs to inject content scripts, APIs for storing confidential content, and others.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_13926
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Developers Insight On Manifest v3 Privacy and Security Webextensions
Polčák, Libor
Maone, Giorgio
McMahon, Michael
Bednář, Martin
Cryptography and Security
Computers and Society
Webextensions can improve web browser privacy, security, and user experience. The APIs offered by the browser to webextensions affect possible functionality. Currently, Chrome transitions to a modified set of APIs called Manifest v3. This paper studies the challenges and opportunities of Manifest v3 with an in-depth structured qualitative research. Even though some projects observed positive effects, a majority expresses concerns over limited benefits to users, removal of crucial APIs, or the need to find workarounds. Our findings indicate that the transition affects different types of webextensions differently; some can migrate without losing functionality, while other projects remove functionality or decline to update. The respondents identified several critical missing APIs, including reliable APIs to inject content scripts, APIs for storing confidential content, and others.
title Developers Insight On Manifest v3 Privacy and Security Webextensions
topic Cryptography and Security
Computers and Society
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.13926