Yesterday’s announcement that the company behind popular ad-blocking browser extension Adblock Plus started its own ad network wasn’t all that surprising in hindsight: the company had been selling the right to show some users unobtrusive ads to publishers for five years. The news did take two companies that Adblock Plus claimed would be its partners in the ad exchange by surprise: ad companies AppNexus and Google.

AppNexus announced late yesterday that it would end its relationship with Eyeo, the parent company of Adblock Plus, and with its partner in creating the ad network ComboTag.

Yes, it was part of the project originally, a spokesman explained to the Wall Street Journal, but Eyeo and ComboTag hadn’t explained the project in full, and its relationship was only through one account executive.

An actual representative of Google, meanwhile, may or may not have actually signed on to be part of the Acceptable Ads sale platform.

“We review the validity and quality of inventory made available on our platform, but have no knowledge of, or involvement in, ComboTag or Eyeo’s publisher monetization arrangements,” Google said in a statement.

That doesn’t clarify whether Google finds the arrangement acceptable or wants to be part of using a popular ad-blocker to sell advertising, but does mean that Eyeo may have been presumptuous or premature in announcing its partnerships with AppNexus and with Google publicly.

AppNexus Severs Ties With Adblock Plus Ad Platform [Wall Street Journal]

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