“But I do sympathise with the ad-blockers and internet users to the extent that you are now seeing vast volumes of data being gathered about people’s behaviour without their express permission via trackers used by advertisers, and that’s not a desirable outcome”.
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The problem with Arment’s app, and a big reason why it was so popular, was that it had an all-or-nothing approach for “decisions that aren’t black and white”, Arment explained.
Ad-blocking has always been a part of the desktop landscape.
Apple’s iOS 9, which allows ad-blocking apps, has re-started the debate on whether ad-blocking helps or harms the ad industry.
That app is Crystal.
Available on Firefox and SeaMonkey, Flashblock (as you might have guessed from the name) allows users to specifically prevent Flash elements from being displayed on a page.
The iOS 9 deployment, of course, only affects browser use – a cynic might say Apple makes too much money from its cut of in-app ad revenues to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Because Apple is such an influential player in the technology world, their move towards allowing developers the tools to create apps which block ads has caused a stir. They are funded from the licence fee, whether you personally ever visit them or not.
What’s more, it’s younger audiences who are in the lead here, suggesting that they will be the most enthusiastic at embracing mobile ad-blockers in order to preserve battery life, reduce data costs and avoid unwelcome interruptions.
That companies can pay to bypass Adblock Plus is nothing new, although Adblock Plus insists that most ads that are deemed “acceptable” are added for free.
More than 30 percent of Germans online use such software, many more than the 5 percent of Internet users globally in 2014, according to Dublin-based analytics and advisory firm PageFair, which develops “ad blocker-friendly” advertising. In fact, Murphy announced a tie up with Eyeo, the makers of Adblock Plus.
If Purify hasn’t been in talks with Eyeo yet, it’s likely not because Eyeo hasn’t reached out to its developer, Chris Aljoudi. The initiative is backed by popular products like Adblock Plus, Reddit, and other popular companies.
Besides the new improved blocklist, the Adamant 1.1 version also comes with a few minor bug fixes which should make the app more stable and more user-friendly.
Whitelisting deals aside, advertising companies are looking at other ways to punch holes in the adblocker walls. Because Safari is the default browser on iOS devices, when you click on any URL link in an email, text message, or website, Safari will open and Adblock Plus will block “any annoying ads”.
The WSJ mentioned yet another tactic, being developed by a startup called Secret Media.
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Ultimately, it appears that just as companies that are serious about the web have learned to do thorough cross-browser and cross-device testing to ensure that their experiences work everywhere, companies may be forced to do thorough testing of their websites using ad blockers. Ad blockers were banned from Android’s Google Play store in 2013, and were not previous technically possible on the iPhone. The JSON consists of an array of rules (triggers and actions) for blocking specified content. Safari converts the JSON to bytecode, which it applies efficiently to all resource loads without leaking information about the user’s browsing back to the app extension. The update according to the developer is only meant to encourage advertisers embrace user-friendly practices.
