Report: Google allegedly planning native ad-blocker in Chrome

[2FA]

Quote

Alphabet Inc.’s Google is planning to introduce an ad-blocking feature in the mobile and desktop versions of its popular Chrome web browser, according to people familiar with the company’s plans.

 

The ad-blocking feature, which could be switched on by default within Chrome, would filter out certain online ad types deemed to provide bad experiences for users as they move around the web.

 

Google could announce the feature within weeks, but it is still ironing out specific details and still could decide not to move ahead with the plan, the people said.

 

 

Quote

But the continued growth of ad-blocking is a worrying trend for Google, which generated over $60 billion in revenue from online advertising in 2016.

 

It’s also a concern for other online publishers and services that rely on advertising revenue to support their businesses, many of which work with Google to help sell advertising space on their properties.

 

 

If this comes to fruition, I imagine it will follow a similar practice of some ad-blockers that whitelist acceptable ad types though without having to pay to be whitelisted. 

 

Sauce: https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-plans-ad-blocking-feature-in-popular-chrome-browser-1492643233

 

[Guest]

Imagine if they block YouTube ads too. Oh the irony

[ARikozuM]

So, Youtube and Google services will have ads. What about other sites? Will Google now control what can or cannot be on other sites?

[LtStaffel]

Keep an eye for this on Canary

[JuNex03]

Just now, ARikozuM said:

So, Youtube and Google services will have ads. What about other sites? Will Google now control what can or cannot be on other sites?

World domination baby! OK maybe not the world.

[2FA]

Just now, ARikozuM said:

So, Youtube and Google services will have ads. What about other sites? Will Google now control what can or cannot be on other sites?

How I imagine this will work:

 

Google will put forward guidelines on acceptable advertisements. Ad-networks will then have to follow those guidelines in order to be whitelisted. 

[Rune]

Google, ad provider, blocks all other ads not provided by them. Ad providers can then pay them to be unblocked. Genius.

[HelplmChoking]

This seems less than legal.. Block all non-Google ads for being "bad experiences", then Google wins the internet ad game.

[2FA]

Just now, Rangaman42 said:

This seems less than legal.. Block all non-Google ads for being "bad experiences", then Google wins the internet ad game.

They legally aren't allowed to block competitors in their products. Hence why you can google search Bing.  

 

Google is typically pretty fair when it comes to things like this.

[Orangeator]

1 minute ago, Rangaman42 said:

This seems less than legal.. Block all non-Google ads for being "bad experiences", then Google wins the internet ad game.

They are not forcing anyone to use their products, we by free will choose to use their products. You don't have to use Chrome, it's their product and they have every right to do what they want with it. It is no the governments place to intervene because it is a possible web browser.

[Orangeator]

1 minute ago, DeadEyePsycho said:

They legally aren't allowed to block competitors in their products. Hence why you can google search Bing.  

 

Google is typically pretty fair when it comes to things like this.

Why the hell are they not allowed to block competitors in their products? That seems like an overreach to me. It is their product...

[ARikozuM]

Just now, Orangeator said:

They are not forcing anyone to use their products, we by free will choose to use their products.

Unless you're an Android user. As long as it isn't a Chromebook.

[ARikozuM]

Just now, Orangeator said:

Why the hell are they not allowed to block competitors in their products? That seems like an overreach to me. It is their product...

Anti-competitive clauses. It's why Asus motherboards can't block MSI GPU's as an example.

[2FA]

Just now, Orangeator said:

Why the hell are they not allowed to block competitors in their products? That seems like an overreach to me. It is their product...

Think of the anti-trust against MS for bundling IE with Windows.

[HelplmChoking]

2 minutes ago, Orangeator said:

They are not forcing anyone to use their products, we by free will choose to use their products. You don't have to use Chrome, it's their product and they have every right to do what they want with it. It is no the governments place to intervene because it is a possible web browser.

 

Actually, if Chrome is extremely widely used (it is) then they can be done for anti-competitive stuff. Like how Microsoft almost got into trouble for pushing Edge so hard, and making it harder to set another browser as your default.

[Orangeator]

Just now, Rangaman42 said:

Actually, if Chrome is extremely widely used (it is) then they can be done for anti-competitive stuff. Like how Microsoft almost got into trouble for pushing Edge so hard, and making it harder to set another browser as your default.

So basically, if a company releases a product with no government help... And it becomes immensely popular they begin to lose rights to it pretty much?

 

3 minutes ago, DeadEyePsycho said:

Think of the anti-trust against MS for bundling IE with Windows.

I actually think it's fine for them to include IE with Windows, they created Windows and funded... It's up to them if they want to include software.

 

4 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

Anti-competitive clauses. It's why Asus motherboards can't block MSI GPU's as an example.

Best point so far, that is a great perspective on this.

[2FA]

1 minute ago, Orangeator said:

So basically, if a company releases a product with no government help... And it becomes immensely popular they begin to lose rights to it pretty much?

 

I actually think it's fine for them to include IE with Windows, they created Windows and funded... It's up to them if they want to include software.

 

Best point so far, that is a great perspective on this.

 

The US economy is not a straight free market, it's a mix between a capitalist and socialist scheme. There are regulations that prevent anti-competitive practices and monopolies. The FTC has a web page devoted to this: https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-antitrust-laws

[Orangeator]

1 minute ago, DeadEyePsycho said:

The US economy is not a straight free market, it's a mix between a capitalist and socialist scheme. There are regulations that prevent anti-competitive practices and monopolies. The FTC has a web page devoted to this: https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-antitrust-laws

Makes sense, "Free and open markets are the foundation of a vibrant economy. Aggressive competition among sellers in an open marketplace gives consumers — both individuals and businesses — the benefits of lower prices, higher quality products and services, more choices, and greater innovation." I completely agree with that. Thanks.

[Belgarathian]

I would imagine that they'll set rules for what is blocked, and what isn't, based on performance/criteria. For instance, non-optimised pictures, HTML5, etc etc

[HelplmChoking]

1 minute ago, Orangeator said:

Makes sense, "Free and open markets are the foundation of a vibrant economy. Aggressive competition among sellers in an open marketplace gives consumers — both individuals and businesses — the benefits of lower prices, higher quality products and services, more choices, and greater innovation." I completely agree with that. Thanks.

 

It kinda reminds me of Apple way back, when they introduced the shuffle feature when playing music, and people complained that it picked the same artist/album too much, so they made it less random to appear more random.

It's a bit like that, a slightly controlled market, with the controls making it behave more freely. It's weird, but it's okay so far.

[HelplmChoking]

1 minute ago, Belgarathian said:

I would imagine that they'll set rules for what is blocked, and what isn't, based on performance/criteria. For instance, non-optimised pictures, HTML5, etc etc

 

Oh for sure, things that are too large, pop ups, Flash junk etc.

[Orangeator]

1 minute ago, Rangaman42 said:

It kinda reminds me of Apple way back, when they introduced the shuffle feature when playing music, and people complained that it picked the same artist/album too much, so they made it less random to appear more random.

It's a bit like that, a slightly controlled market, with the controls making it behave more freely. It's weird, but it's okay so far.

I gotcha, in economics right now so trying to understand this as much as I can haha.

[xyameax]

I can see them using a different name for ad-blocking like "Media-Focus Mode" or "Entertainment Enchancement" which blocks out all unnecessary clutter, like how Microsoft Edge has a "Reading Mode". Most ad-placement is removed and leaves only the information people want to see.

 

Having this built in to chrome would help out a lot and having it for media consumption might actually be something they can get away with. Let it be a simple toggle near the address bar and I think it might work.

[HelplmChoking]

1 minute ago, xyameax said:

I can see them using a different name for ad-blocking like "Media-Focus Mode" or "Entertainment Enchancement" which blocks out all unnecessary clutter, like how Microsoft Edge has a "Reading Mode". Most ad-placement is removed and leaves only the information people want to see.

 

Having this built in to chrome would help out a lot and having it for media consumption might actually be something they can get away with. Let it be a simple toggle near the address bar and I think it might work.

 

Oh shit, that's a good point. Chrome technically has a reader mode buried away, which can be enabled with a little fuckery. It may be similar to that.

[Sniperfox47]

13 minutes ago, Rangaman42 said:

Oh shit, that's a good point. Chrome technically has a reader mode buried away, which can be enabled with a little fuckery. It may be similar to that.

Yeah. I love how one of the big selling points Microsoft pushed with edge was that it had a reading mode that removes clutter and brings the article to the forefront so you can focus on it, something that at that point every other major browser had except IE and Safari...