Firefox users left waiting as uBlock Origin updates get stuck in Mozilla's 8-week review queue

The developers of uBlock Origin just released version 1.71, but Firefox users are stuck waiting because of a massive eight-week backlog in Mozilla’s extension review queue. The wildly popular ad blocker currently has six unreviewed development builds sitting untouched on Mozilla’s servers, dating back to mid-March.

Because uBlock Origin holds a “Recommended” badge on the Firefox Add-ons store, every single update requires a formal manual code review. The process is usually fast. Right now, it is completely jammed up.

As noted by the developers in the uBlock Origin subreddit, the last version Mozilla actually approved was a beta release on March 15. The delays are so severe that the team decided not to even submit the new 1.71 update yet. They are worried a fresh submission might reset their place in line and knock them further down the queue.

Chrome and Edge users already have the update. It rolled out to those stores earlier this week. Firefox users are effectively stranded on an older build.

Given that a huge chunk of the Firefox user base chooses the browser specifically because it offers better ad-blocking capabilities than Google Chrome. Leaving those users hanging is not great.

In a prominent thread on the Firefox subreddit, the OP mentioned how baffling it is that a flagship, heavily relied upon extension gets stuck in limbo for nearly two months without any communication.

The exact cause of the bottleneck remains unconfirmed. A few users speculated that Mozilla’s security reviewers are drowning in a recent flood of AI-related vulnerabilities and new CVEs.

If true, the strict prioritization makes sense. But it is still a frustrating situation for everyday users who just want their browser extensions to stay secure and updated without jumping through hoops.

For now, there is no official timeline for a fix. Firefox users will just have to sit tight and wait for the backlog to slowly clear out.

Featured image generated with AI

We stand out from the tech-media crowd because we break news stories; we mainly bring you stuff that you won’t find anywhere in the mainstream tech media. Our stories have been picked up by some of the world’s most popular websites and media outlets—more info is available here.