Why Google, Which Gets Most Of Its Revenue From Ads, Is Building An Ad-Blocker

Because they are feeling the heat from consumers. But as the article suggests, this could just be a placebo designed to convince users they have a blocker so that they won't install a real one.

Which says something about our faith in the intentions of the institutions on which we have come to rely. JL

Tess Townsend reports in Re/code:

Blocking ads would seem counterintuitive for Google. But it’s worth asking if this feature would even be an ad-blocker. Google’s version could work similarly to what consumers are already downloading. The feature could block all ads on any sites that contain offending ads. Or it could just be something users download that kind of sounds like an ad blocker, so then they don’t download a real ad blocker.

Google is reportedly working on an ad blocker.

Sources tell The Wall Street Journal the company is working on a feature for its Chrome browser on desktop and mobile that would either filter certain types of ads, or filter ads entirely from sites that run what it seems as “bad ads.”

Filtering would be based on standards created by an organization called the Coalition for Better Ads, which happens to count Google and Facebook as members. Update: Members such as Google and Facebook fund the coalition, according to a coalition representative.

Based on that criteria, Google’s ad blocker would filter out pop-ups and auto-playing features.

Blocking ads, then, would seem counterintuitive for Google. But it’s worth asking if this feature would even be an ad-blocker, at least in the sense that most people think of ad blockers. (It's worth noting Chrome has long had a built-in pop up blocker and warns users of sites that may contain malware.)

Depending on how it played out, Google’s version could still work similarly to what consumers are already downloading. The Journal reported that the feature could block all ads on any sites that contain offending ads.

Or it could just be something users download that kind of sounds like an ad blocker, so then they don’t download a real ad blocker.

Google declined to state whether it was working on the tool described by the Journal.

“We’ve been working closely with the Coalition for Better Ads and industry trades to explore a multitude of ways Google and other members of the Coalition could support the Better Ads Standards,” a spokesperson said.