Google says Chrome's built-in ad-blocking tech will arrive early next year

[midian182]

Back in April, the Wall Street Journal reported that Google was planning to introduce an ad-blocker directly into Chrome. Now, the company has confirmed this will be happening in early 2018, though the technology doesn’t work like most third-party blockers.

The ads that Chrome will block, which includes those owned or served by Google, are those that violate the standards set by the Coalition for Better Ads, an industry group that counts the likes of Facebook and Google among its members.

Ads that are deemed “beneath a threshold of consumer acceptability” include full-page interstitials with countdowns, flashing ads, and those that unexpectedly play sounds.

If just one of the ads on a site doesn't follow the Coalition’s standards, Chrome will block all of them, not just the offending advert(s).

Google is also rolling out the Ad Experience Report. The tool warns publishers of any ads on their site that violate the coalition’s standards, while also providing screenshots and videos showing what constitutes an annoying ad. Developers can resubmit their site for review once they address the issues.

Additionally, Google is working on a tool called “Funding Choices,” which allows publishers to display a customizable message to visitors asking them to, for example, disable their third-party ad blockers or pay a subscription to go ad free.

The number of people using ad blockers jumped 30 percent last year. Google says this “reduces the ability for publishers to continue creating free content and threatens the sustainability of the web ecosystem.”

By introducing the ad-blocking tech to Chrome, Google hopes to wrestle control away from the likes of Adblock Plus, which charges fees for whitelisting ads from certain companies. Google itself is part of Adblock Plus developer Eyeo GmbH’s “Acceptable Ads” program.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/69547-google-chrome-built-ad-blocking-tech-arrive-early.html

 

[mbrowne5061]

No ad will be acceptable in my book until they do two things:
-Ban all java and flash ads
-reimburse me for the bandwidth their ads use; if the ads on your webpage are larger than the page itself, you're doing it wrong.

 

[bmw95]

I think advertising can be really good for people. I can't even count how many times I've found something really cool from an advertisement I've come across, for example foldup canoes, or the Pico Brew. Or even a new PC case or laptop that looks super cool I didn't know existed. The thing that sucks, is that's like 0.00000000000000000001% of all the ads shoved in my face.

Google needs to completely change the way they serve ads to people, and instead of focusing on the number of ads, focus on the relevancy of those ads to people (would mean less ads, but more revenue per ad).

If I had a way to view advertisements on things that are highly relevant to me that help me stay on top of the industry I'm interested in, and discover new products that help me stay competitive in the marketplace, that would be highly valuable to me. In that sense, ads are just a tool, more efficient than reading tech blog articles.

The thing that sucks is that we don't have any control over anything. If I don't like an ad, I can't prevent Google from showing it to me later. I'm pretty sure there are settings in the Google account to personalize your ads, but it all just seems like settings to make something that's a "necessary evil" more bearable.

If Google doesn't change their mindset that ads are a necessary evil, it doesn't matter what they release such as this ad blocker which blocks some ads, nobody will use it. They should focus on building platforms for people to use advertisements as a knowledge tool to help them get ahead in their lives. And have complete control on what they see and what they don't.

 

[TheBigT42]

I bet $1,000,000 (Said like Dr. Evil) that Google Chrome's ad-blocker wont work on Google YouTube ads

 

[psycros]

Additionally, Google is working on a tool called “Funding Choices,” which allows publishers to display a customizable message to visitors asking them to, for example, disable their third-party ad blockers or pay a subscription to go ad free.

And just like that, the future arrives. I've been saying for probably eight years that the next phase of the web is going to be networks of ad-free or nearly ad-free sites with a modest subscription. As usual, Google is ahead of the curve and will become the de facto website middleman. This will create a new, alternative revenue stream that will eventually be almost on par with advertising. More importantly, it will normalize the idea of paying for content, something that only video streaming services like Netflix have managed to successfully monetize so far. At first, Google, Microsoft and other bit players will battle mightily to bring sites that offer "premium" experiences into their networks..but the trouble will start when Comcast joins the fray. This is why net neutrality is so important - its the only bulwark we have against the web becoming just like the proprietary data services (XBox Live, for example). Without neutrality the biggest ISPs will try to shake down these evolving content subscription networks (CSNs, if you will) and prices will quickly rise. Of course if Comcast pushes too hard I wouldn't be surprised if Google finally takes the gloves off and forces their way into all those markets that are being held hostage by the entrenched cable mafia. Microsoft might even join with Google in that fight, and what a fight it would be.

 

[captaincranky]

So let me see if I've got this straight. Google, who makes a big chunk of its gross revenue from selling advertising, is now going to block ads?

Would that be its own ads, or just its competitors?

Can anyone else envision an anti-trust action against Google arising out of this development? (Or is it just me)?

 

[Eric Mozzone]

What if major sites like Yahoo/MSN ECT ECT quit supporting chrome all together? Why would they want to develop their sites for Chrome if they can't advertise?

Thoughts? Maybe I'm just an *****.