Google Ad Blocking push

According to unnamed sources at The Wall Street Journal, Google is expected to roll out a new ad blocking feature for mobile and desktop versions of its Chrome web browser. This new feature would block any ads that affect the user experience in a negative way. Google is a member of the Coalition for better ads, and is reportedly considering blocking all unacceptable ad formats rather than just individual offending ads.

So what does this really mean?

As with anything, when growth is fast it becomes a little ad hoc and crazy. The growth of the internet is nothing new, but with so many platforms these days that allow users to build their own websites and blogs the user experience has declined. This is especially so with sites that are not mobile ready or responsive. According to the Coalition for Better Ads, the offending ads include pop-ups, auto-playing video ads with sound and ”

According to the Coalition for Better Ads, the offending ads include pop-ups, auto-playing video ads with sound and “prestitial” ads with countdown timers. The full list includes six desktop and 12 mobile ad formats deemed to fall beneath the threshold of acceptable experiences. If Google does implement a native ad block feature in Chrome, it will be watched by European Commissioner for Competition to ensure that there is no anti-competitive

If Google does implement a native ad block feature in Chrome, it will be watched by European Commissioner for Competition to ensure that there is no anti-competitive behaviour and the giant doesn’t monopolise the market.

The bottom line

What this means for the average small-medium business owner is that the ‘do it yourself’ module for creating ads may no longer cut it and calling in the professionals will be a must. Although at this stage nothing the proposed changes are speculative and will only be applicable to the Chrome browser.