Starting from Thursday 15th February, the world’s most popular web browser will start automatically blocking intrusive ads from the webpages you visit.
Up until now, savvy web users have had to rely on the popular AdBlock Chrome extension, which blocked most online adverts, including the notorious un-skippable ads from the beginning of YouTube videos. The update will roll AdBlock’s functionality into the browser and switch it on by default on desktop and mobile devices.
The move will not block all ads – as Google are fully aware that many websites need advertising revenue to survive (advertising also makes up around 86% of Google’s revenue) – however it will block the most intrusive and annoying kinds. These include full-screen pop-ups, prestitial ads (those that you are forced to watch before you can even access a websites), flashing ads, auto-playing videos and ads with sound. Websites that have an ad density over 30% will also be affected.
“A big source of frustration is annoying ads: video ads that play at full blast or giant pop-ups where you can’t seem to find the exit icon,” says vice president for Chrome Rahul Roy-Chowdhury.
“These ads are designed to be disruptive and often stand in the way of people using their browsers for their intended purpose — connecting them to content and information. It’s clear that annoying ads degrade what we all love about the web.”
A big source of frustration is annoying ads: video ads that play at full blast or giant pop-ups where you can’t seem to find the exit icon.
Google is placing ultimate responsibility on site owners rather than those who design the adverts themselves. Offending websites will be informed that they are contravening CBA guidelines and given 30 days to rectify the situation. Ads will only be blocked entirely if the problem persists.
“Although a few of the ad experiences that violate the Better Ads Standards are problems in the advertisement itself, the majority of problematic ad experiences are controlled by the site owner — such as high ad density or prestitial ads with countdown,” says Chris Bentzel, engineering manager for Chromium.
The decision to build AdBlock into Chrome was originally announced in June 2017.
