adblocking
Latest
Brave web browser is really fast at blocking ads
Google recently unveiled "Manifest V3," a new suite of proposed Chromium browser changes that would make it a lot harder to block ads. Now, the third-party browser Brave, which uses Chromium technology, has essentially defied Google by unveiling extremely rapid ad-blocking tech (in beta) that's much, much faster than before, but without the Manifest V3 limitations.
Opera for Android gives you an option to quickly turn off ad blocking
Ad blocking on mobile web browsers is relatively commonplace, but it's also annoying when you want to turn it off to support a favorite site (or, let's be honest, to get past a "turn off your ad blocker" warning). Opera thinks it can win you over by making that process as easy as possible. It's releasing Opera 50 for Android with an ad blocker you can toggle on a per-site basis. You just have to flick a slider on or off -- you don't have to think about a whitelist or turning off ad blocking entirely.
Chrome now blocks ads on deceptive websites
Google is acting on its promise to kick deceptive websites to the curb. The newly released Chrome 71 now blocks ads on "abusive" sites that consistently trick users with fake system warnings, non-functional "close" buttons and other bogus content that steers you to ads and landing pages. The sites themselves won't lose access the moment Google marks them abusive, but they'll have 30 days to clean up their acts.
Chrome will block all ads on consistently deceptive websites
Google is stepping up its fight against websites that use shady pop-ups and redirects to ensnare web users. As of December, Chrome 71 will block all ads on the "small number" of sites that consistently use these tactics, whether they're producing fake system errors or trying to steer you to unwanted sites. It won't yank ads right away when Google determines that something is rotten, but there won't be much time -- after Google flags issues in an Abusive Experiences report, site owners will have 30 days to mend their ways.
German court says ad-blocking is legal
Germany's supreme court has dismissed a landmark case brought by a publisher looking to destroy ad-blocking services in the country. European behemoth Axel Springer was defeated in its years-long battle with Eyeo, the firm that owns AdBlock Plus. Springer argued that blocking adverts was in violation of competition law, while AdBlock's whitelist strategy was legally dubious.
Salon asks readers to pick their poison: ads or crypto mining
If you use an ad-blocker, you'll now be met with a pop-up when you visit Salon's website, the Financial Times reports. It will offer you two choices -- turn off your ad-blocker or let the website mine cryptocurrency with some of your computer's extra processing power. Salon says on its site that it makes its money off of advertisements, but because more and more readers are now using ad-blockers, it has seen a large drop in revenue. Cryptocurrency mining is its way of recuperating those losses. "Like most media sites, ad-blockers cut deeply into our revenue and create a more one-sided relationship between reader and publisher," Salon says. "For our beta program, we'll start by applying your processing power to mine cryptocurrencies to recoup lost ad revenue when you use an ad blocker. We plan to further use any learnings from this to help support the evolution and growth of blockchain technology, digital currencies and other ways to better service the value exchange between content and user contribution."
Thousands of websites are quietly fighting ad blocking
Websites aren't always conspicuous in their attempts to combat ad blockers. Researchers from the University of Iowa and UC Riverside have learned that 30.5 percent of the top 10,000 websites have measures to thwart ad blocking, and they're frequently using methods you wouldn't likely notice. Many use scripts to introduce 'bait' content that sets off ad blockers, prompting the site to relaunch ads in a way that blockers might not catch.
Karma's anonymizing LTE hotspot arrives January 15th
Want to keep your internet activity under wraps regardless of what device you're using or where you are? You won't have too much longer to wait. Karma has revealed that its anonymizing Karma Black LTE hotspot will ship on January 15th, with pre-orders open now. Spend $149 ($249 after January 15th), plus $20 per month for security services, and you'll get a portable router that encrypts all your internet traffic while masking your location and other potentially identifying data markers. You can use it to boost the privacy of your home connection, too, and there's the promise of feature expansions that include Tor anonymity network services, antivirus safeguards, ad blocking and parental controls.
Chrome will block the most annoying ads starting February 15th
Back in June, Google announced that Chrome would start automatically blocking annoying internet ads in early 2018. You know the culprits -- ads that autoplay sound, force you to wait several seconds before the page loads, and otherwise ruin your browsing experience. But now we know when this will go into effect. On February 15th, Chrome will begin blocking these noxious ads.
Chrome will soon prevent irritating, unwanted website redirects
Today, Google announced some tweaks coming to Chrome that are aimed at blocking surprise website redirects and irritating pop-ups. In a blog post, Google said that around one out of every five feedback reports regarding Chrome mentions users being directed toward unwanted content and so it's working to address those issues in upcoming Chrome releases.
Chrome ad-blocker shows up in experimental Android browser
Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Google would soon include built-in ad blocking in Chrome for both mobile and desktop. While the feature hasn't been officially revealed yet, we're starting to see hints that it might be real. Some people running Chrome Canary on Android (a special build of Google's browser that's both experimental and unstable) are noticing an ad-blocking option in the settings menu.
Chrome will automatically block annoying ads in early 2018
Google will launch a version of the Chrome web browser in early 2018 that automatically blocks annoying ads. Google's new ad-filtering technology will define "annoying" as outlined by the Coalition for Better Ads -- that means Chrome users are about to see a lot fewer pop-ups and auto-playing audio spots. "The reality is, it's far too common that people encounter annoying, intrusive ads on the web -- like the kind that blare music unexpectedly, or force you to wait 10 seconds before you can see the content on the page," Google SVP of ads and commerce Sridhar Ramaswamy says. "These frustrating experiences can lead some people to block all ads -- taking a big toll on the content creators, journalists, web developers and videographers who depend on ads to fund their content creation."
WSJ: Google will build an ad-blocker into Chrome
Tonight the Wall Street Journal reports that, according to anonymous sources, Google will introduce an ad-blocking feature for Chrome on mobile and desktop platforms. Ad blockers for browsers are hardly a new thing, and Google itself already pays into Adblock Plus' "Acceptable Ads" program, but this is interesting because Google is at its heart an advertising company. Based on the report, Chrome's ad blocking will target bad advertisements as defined by the Coalition for Better Ads, including pop-ups, autoplaying ads with sound, page-blocking time countdowns and others.
Potentially 'undefeatable' ad blocker looks at content, not code
Facebook may have just lost its war on ad blockers. That is, if a new method developed by Princeton and Stanford researchers is implemented into a widely available blocker. Computer scientist Arvind Narayanan and his colleagues detailed unveiled a tool that detects ads the same way humans would, by looking at things like container sizes, icon graphics and words like "Sponsored." It's called Perceptual Ad Blocker, and is already available as a Chrome extension for you to test out yourself. But in an attempt to avoid getting into the ethics around ad-blocking, the system only covers detected ads with words like "This is an ad," instead of removing them altogether.
Adblock Plus' ad network is off to a rough start
When Adblock Plus unveiled its own ad network in a bid to make money from toned-down ads, it raised more than a few eyebrows... including those of its supposed ad partners. While the company said that its Acceptable Ads Platform would supply ads from Google and AppNexus, it turns out that it was merely relying on a go-between company (ComboTag) to get those ads. It hadn't asked the underlying ad providers about a deal -- and now, they want out. Both Google and AppNexus are ending their associations with ComboTag, leaving Adblock Plus without much of a leg to stand on.
Adblock Plus launches its very own ad network
The immensely popular (and sometimes controversial) Adblock Plus browser extension is taking the next step in its crusade to clean up online advertising -- even if that effort comes at a cost to users and publishers. On Tuesday, Adblock Plus announced it is joining the ranks of those online advertisers and launching its own ad network called the Acceptable Ads Platform.
Facebook finds a way around desktop ad blockers
Facebook has decided to fight back against ad blocking. In a blog post today, the company recognised that a growing number of users have installed desktop ad blockers to avoid advertising they consider annoying or irrelevant. But soon, that won't be possible, as Facebook claims it'll "begin showing ads on Facebook desktop for people who currently use ad blocking software." How it's managed such a feat isn't clear. Facebook says it hasn't paid ad blocking companies to be whitelisted -- an approach taken by some of its rivals -- because it's "confusing to people" and reduces the funding available to journalists and other ad-centric businesses.
Three's mobile ad-blocking trial starts today
Three is trialling network-level ad-blocking in the UK today. The experiment, which is sure to put advertisers and publishers on edge, will affect a small number of Three customers that were approached beforehand. It's been described as a "technology test" for Shine, an ad-blocking specialist that Three has recruited to explore the idea.
Mobile ad blocking is still relatively uncommon in the U.S.
Out of 1.9 billion smartphone users on the planet, about 419 million -- or 22 percent -- of them use mobile ad blocking tools, a new study from PageFair has found. While ad blocking has barely caught on in the United States, more than a third of all the smartphone users in the Asia-Pacific region use an app or browser to stop advertisements from reaching their phones.
Three to trial mobile ad blocking next month
Three will soon trial network-level ad blocking in the UK. Such a move was telegraphed back in February, when the carrier inked a deal with Shine, a company that specialises in the practice. The trial will take place on the week starting June 13th, for 24 hours. Three will contact customers beforehand and they'll be able to sign up through the carrier's website. The extent of the ad-blocking isn't clear, but Shine says it can handle "all of the mobile web," including display ads and display ads within apps.
