Asus' line of smartphones and tablets will soon ship with AdBlock Plus pre-installed. Not only that, it'll come enabled by default - a decision that has the potential to create waves in the mobile industry.
AdBlock Plus will be baked into Asus Browser, the PC vendor's proprietary web browser. If you've never heard of Asus Browser, you're not alone as the software has an estimated user base of around 15 million - hardly a blip on the map in today's mobile-centric world. It could, however, set a controversial precedent for other handset / browser makers.
The only ads that would get through would likely be those that are part of AdBlock Plus' Acceptable Ads program.
AdBlock Plus co-founder and CEO Till Faida confirmed the news, telling Motherboard that they were extremely happy to team up with Asus, the first major hardware manufacturer to integrate ad blocking into their mobile devices. Faida described it as another call for innovation in the ad industry - a call that's getting louder by the day.
Proponents of ad blocking software argue that advertising is annoying, eats up additional bandwidth (a real concern for those with small data allotments) and serves as a vehicle for malware installation - all valid arguments.
Content creators, however, view ads as a necessary evil that allows them to make a living. Without the revenue that ads generate, the Internet as we know it simply wouldn't exist.