Google Chrome to auto block annoying ads by 2018

by Mark Tyson on 5 June 2017, 12:11

Tags: Google (NASDAQ:GOOG)

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Google aims to build "a better web for everyone" by reducing the "far too common… annoying, intrusive ads," that proliferate. Working alongside the Coalition for Better Ads, Google will leverage its Chrome browser to put a stop to the web advertising that irks people the most - such as pop-ups, and auto-playing audio and video adverts. The big problem is that frustratingly intrusive advertising often triggers web users to block all ads, which has a negative impact on the funding of all content creators who publish via the web.

"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," wrote senior VP of Ads & Commerce at Google, Sridhar Ramaswamy, on the Google Blog. "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."

Ramaswamy went on to explain how Google is working with the Coalition for Better Ads and will be adhering to the group's recently announced Better Ads Standards. Google will help publishers follow the ads guidance using its new Ad Experience Report tool. The tool provides previews of your owned sites and identifies ways to find and fix any issues.

Another way that Google aims to help web publishers, who might be missing ad views due to blocking inspired by intrusive ads, is via the Funding Choices program. This beta feature allows publishers to show a customised message to those who browse their sites with ad blocking turned-on. For example it can ask users to white-list their particular site or pay for an ad-free pass via Google Contributor. Funding Choices is already available in North America, the U.K., Germany, Australia and New Zealand and will roll out to further countries this year.

In early 2018 Google Chrome will stop showing ads (including those owned or served by Google) that are not compliant with the Better Ads Standards. So, publishers have a good six months or so to sort out the ads served on their sites. Overall, Google believes its upcoming changes will help ensure all content creators can continue to sustainably fund their work with online ads.



HEXUS Forums :: 16 Comments

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Well, anything that blocks “annoying” ads has to be a good move. Trouble is :-

1) I don't use Google.
2) I certainly won't be using Chrome.
3) I find ALL ad's annoying.

So I guess it won't make much difference to me.
So that will be every ad will it - or more realistically, I'll be able to choose which ads I want to block after I've seen them say - 5 times?

But as I rarely use Chrome - it won't really affect me - but if Google were to stop listing sites that had annoying adverts, or weren't compliant, THAT would be worthwhile.
peterb
So that will be every ad will it - or more realistically, I'll be able to choose which ads I want to block after I've seen them say - 5 times?

Nah, this is Google. They'll have a “perfect” list of which adverts are annoying and which aren't, and you'll receive the ones they think are OK. And that'll be that. :(

Of course after this, if anyone is still successfully blocking YT or other Google sponsored ads, they will soon lose that functionality from Chrome..

peterb
if Google were to stop listing sites that had annoying adverts, or weren't compliant, THAT would be worthwhile.

Agreed, their de-listing department is already thriving with all of those copyright and government claims to take sites down, why not give them a side task of temporarily removing advert jungles? That said, who gave Google the right to remove websites because their advertising policies are a bit militaristic? Might be impossible to do.
peterb
So that will be every ad will it - or more realistically, I'll be able to choose which ads I want to block after I've seen them say - 5 times?

But as I rarely use Chrome - it won't really affect me - but if Google were to stop listing sites that had annoying adverts, or weren't compliant, THAT would be worthwhile.

It'll only remove ads that Google has decided aren't compliant. With my cynical hat on I suspect that ads served by Googles competitors will be more likely to be seen as non-compliant than those served by them.

Ad-blockers are an endangered species on Chrome already, they took Ad-Nauseum (which hid all ads AND clicked on them all, invisible to the user to obfuscate their analytics,) down and won't even let you install it manually without using dev mode. I imagine the others will follow over time.

A single company being the most dominant ad slinger and the dominant browser is only going to go one way.
peterb
…. but if Google were to stop listing sites that had annoying adverts, or weren't compliant, THAT would be worthwhile.


Presumably, Google's definition of “annoying” will be “not making us enough money”.

My definition of “annoying ad” is “ad”.

This shows the fundamental conflict, between a user's and Google's definition, even if I go a bit further than many.