Google Confirms Ad-Blocking Feature Coming to Chrome in Early 2018

[MacRumors]

Google will introduce an ad-blocking feature in both its mobile and desktop Chrome web browsers early next year, according to the company. Thursday's announcement confirms rumors back in April that the tech giant was seriously considering the feature for Chrome, and provided more details on Google's motives behind the move.

In a blog post, Sridhar Ramaswamy, Senior VP of Ads and Commerce, said Google wanted to "build a better web for everyone" by eradicating intrusive ads online without removing all ads entirely, since so many sites rely on ads as their source of revenue.

The vast majority of online content creators fund their work with advertising. That means they want the ads that run on their sites to be compelling, useful and engaging--ones that people actually want to see and interact with. But 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. 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.

Google said efforts to find a solution to the problem involved several steps, one of which is the ad blocking software, or "ad filter". Chrome's ad filter won't block all ads, but only those that are classified as intrusive or annoying. To help with its classifications, Google said it had joined the Coalition for Better Ads, an industry group dedicated to improving online ads, and would be using the coalition's guidance to determine which ones should be blocked.

According to the coalition's Better Ads Standards, ad formats like pop-ups, auto-playing ads with audio, and ads with countdown timers fall under "a threshold of consumer acceptability", so these will be blocked by Chrome. Even ads "owned or served by Google" will be blocked on pages that don't meet Chrome's guidelines, said the company.

Google also said it planned to support the guidance by helping publishers understand how the standards apply to their own websites. To that end, it has published an Ad Experience Report, which provides examples of annoying ad experiences, and a best practices guide offering ways to fix the issues.

In addition, Google will introduce an option for website visitors to pay sites that they are blocking ads on, called Funding Choices. Google has already been testing a similar feature for some time, but it hopes the updated model will be supported by more publishers when it goes live.

Article Link: Google Confirms Ad-Blocking Feature Coming to Chrome in Early 2018

 

[levitynyc]

I've used Adblock for many years.

Once in a blue moon I'll need to browse the web at work. Its a different world without adblock on. Its almost unusable.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

I use uBlock Origin and Adguard in Safari.

 

[Wahlstrm]

"Wtf have they done to their website?!"
-Me, every time I do a fresh install of macOS and forget to install Adblock in Safari.

 

[TallGuyGT]

I'd like to support the websites I visit, and I do whitelist those with usable / reasonable ads. But with the completely overwhelming ads on many sites, I finally had to install an ad blocker. I was shocked at how much more usable the internet became. Still trying to find a workable fix for autoplay videos - Safari on iOS seems to handle this better than macOS.

 

[lexvo]

Guess whose ads won't be blocked

 

[bitfactory]

I wish Apple would build a block for autoplaying videos into Safari. There are some hacks out there, but they mess up YouTube viewing as well.

Autoplaying videos have become so user hostile on so many different websites it's sickening.

 

[69Mustang]

Even ads "owned or served by Google" will be blocked on pages that don't meet Chrome's guidelines, said the company.

Guess whose ads won't be blocked

I give up. Whose ads won't be blocked?

 

[Sill]

Guess whose ads won't be blocked

You got that right. I can't help wonder if this "initiative" is a result of newer browsers like Brave and CLIQZ gaining traction, along with the methods they're pushing for changing ad-funding of websites as well as site rankings.

 

[Avieshek]

Just like Unlimited plans.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

Remind me again how Google makes most of their income.

 

[Sill]

Autoplaying videos have become so user hostile on so many different websites it's sickening.

Not to mention that if a person is viewing those ads on a cellular iOS device, they're using up data.

Speaking of iOS... I think I'd be happier using an iPhone for browsing if the grand daddy of clickbait crap Taboola could be blocked.

 

[341328]

So google is doing this because they are "good people"?! Hell no. It's all about their plans and interests.

Anyone with a brain just installs ad blocker plus and an ad blocker on iOS for safari.

I think I'll trust a third party with a less conflict of interest than google with ad blocking.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Guess whose ads won't be blocked

They'll likely face lawsuits for this. Blocking the ads of others while allowing their own is most certainly seen an an anticompetitive move. I'm sure they'll try to get around it by using a block list made by another company, rather than themselves, but they'll certainly pick one that doesn't block their own ads.

 

[341328]

Remind me again how Google makes most of their income.

Yep! So true!

 

[JGRE]

Google wanted to "build a better web for everyone" by eradicating intrusive ads online without removing all ads entirely.

All adds out except for Google adds. Long live the Google monopoly.

 

[JM]

Google is so nice to everyone. I trust them completely. Best company.

 

[Goatllama]

Well this is unexpected. Nice enough gesture, we shall see how it works in practice. I'm all for less add-ons and extensions. The more that can be built into the app, the better.

 

[69Mustang]

They'll likely face lawsuits for this. Blocking the ads of others while allowing their own is most certainly seen an an anticompetitive move. I'm sure they'll try to get around it by using a block list made by another company, rather than themselves, but they'll certainly pick one that doesn't block their own ads.

Says right in the article: "Even ads "owned or served by Google" will be blocked on pages that don't meet Chrome's guidelines, said the company."

Also, hate Google, love Google... doesn't matter. No company is dumb enough to subject themselves to legal issues as glaringly obvious as this would be if they excluded their own ads from blocking. Wouldn't common sense dictate they would try to ensure their ads conformed to the guidelines as much as possible? It sure a hell of a lot easier than doing what you suggested.

This isn't about less ads on the web. This is about less intrusive ads on the web.

 

[NinjaHERO]

Yes please.

 

[c3pa]

Remind me again how Google makes most of their income.

Google has just updated its business model.

 

[itsmilo]

The EU will love this

 

[manu chao]

Says right in the article: "Even ads "owned or served by Google" will be blocked on pages that don't meet Chrome's guidelines, said the company."

Also, hate Google, love Google... doesn't matter. No company is dumb enough to subject themselves to legal issues as glaringly obvious as this would be if they excluded their own ads from blocking. Wouldn't common sense dictate they would try to ensure their ads conformed to the guidelines as much as possible? It sure a hell of a lot easier than doing what you suggested.

This isn't about less ads on the web. This is about less intrusive ads on the web.

They cannot block ads by who is serving them, but they can block by category, eg, only blocking display adds but not sponsored search results.

 

[NoNothing]

I wish Apple would build a block for autoplaying videos into Safari. There are some hacks out there, but they mess up YouTube viewing as well.

Autoplaying videos have become so user hostile on so many different websites it's sickening.

It's already built in and works great. Enable the developer menu from Bash and it is in the media menu item.

 

[freedomisle]

Google will introduce an ad-blocking feature in both its mobile and desktop Chrome web browsers early next year, according to the company. Thursday's announcement confirms rumors back in April that the tech giant was seriously considering the feature for Chrome, and provided more details on Google's motives behind the move.

In a blog post, Sridhar Ramaswamy, Senior VP of Ads and Commerce, said Google wanted to "build a better web for everyone" by eradicating intrusive ads online without removing all ads entirely, since so many sites rely on ads as their source of revenue.
Google said efforts to find a solution to the problem involved several steps, one of which is the ad blocking software, or "ad filter". Chrome's ad filter won't block all ads, but only those that are classified as intrusive or annoying. To help with its classifications, Google said it had joined the Coalition for Better Ads, an industry group dedicated to improving online ads, and would be using the coalition's guidance to determine which ones should be blocked.

According to the coalition's Better Ads Standards, ad formats like pop-ups, auto-playing ads with audio, and ads with countdown timers fall under "a threshold of consumer acceptability", so these will be blocked by Chrome. Even ads "owned or served by Google" will be blocked on pages that don't meet Chrome's guidelines, said the company.

Google also said it planned to support the guidance by helping publishers understand how the standards apply to their own websites. To that end, it has published an Ad Experience Report, which provides examples of annoying ad experiences, and a best practices guide offering ways to fix the issues.

In addition, Google will introduce an option for website visitors to pay sites that they are blocking ads on, called Funding Choices. Google has already been testing a similar feature for some time, but it hopes the updated model will be supported by more publishers when it goes live.

Article Link: Google Confirms Ad-Blocking Feature Coming to Chrome in Early 2018

A little too late! Google banned adblocks from the google play store, this made web browsing an awful experience for me, thankfully Samsung and Apple went ahead and added Adblock features to their web browser. Goodbye google, not interested in supporting your business model.