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. [More]
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Popular iOS Ad-Blockers Charge Advertisers For Access To Your Eyeballs
By 9.24.15
Now that ad-blockers are available for Apple’s iOS phone and tablet platform, the ad industry is nervous. Yet not as nervous as it could be: adding ad-blockers to iDevices is just an extension of how ad-blocking works on your desktop. Depending on which extension or app you use, advertisers may be paying the developer for access to your screen. [More]
Should Online Publishers Block Users Who Install Ad-Blockers?
By 4.4.14
The Interactive Advertising Bureau is a trade group for, well, interactive advertising. That’s to say clickable online banner and video ads. If you’re one of the smarmy people piping up right now to say, “there are ads on the Internet? I wouldn’t know, I use ad-blockers,” you’re part of the problem as far as the IAB is concerned. [More]
Scratch & Sniff Internet Ad Technology Has A Long Way To Go
By 4.23.13
Visitors to the sports section over at The Onion may have thought they were part of an exciting technological experiment this week: a banner ad invited them to check out the world’s first scratch and sniff banner ad. Unfortunately, that dream is as illusory as that of getting a cash reward from Bill Gates for forwarding an e-mail or getting a free iPod for punching an animated monkey. [More]
You're 475 Times More Likely To Survive A Plane Crash Than Click On A Banner Ad
By 7.1.11
New data shows that there’s a slew of things you’re more likely to do than click on a banner ad. For instance, you’re 475 times more likely to survive a plane crash. [More]
Who Is This Banner Ad Targeting?
By 12.30.09
The man at left appears in banner ads for mortgage refinancing. He looks like a person most people would avoid. So why does this ad network think that he will persuade us to refinance our mortgages? [More]
Google Bans Scammy Advertisers From Network
By 11.22.09
At last, someone has taken a stand against the tooth whitener ad menace. It’s no tiny or obscure ad network: it’s Google. The company has decided to live up to its “don’t be evil” motto and ban advertisers who place ads that lead to sites peddling products like scammy free trials, get-rich-quick schemes, and malware. Previously, they would ban individual ads, but not advertisers. This was akin to playing a massive game of whack-a-mole with thousands of identical “local moms” who had identified the secret to weight loss. Or tooth whitening. Or stretch marks. Or…
Microsoft Goes After Malicious Ad Suppliers
By 9.18.09
If you visited the New York Times website last week, you may have been surprised to have your browsing interrupted by one of those scammy “we’re scanning your computer for viruses OH NO YOU HAVE A VIRUS!” ads that overtake your window. Now Microsoft has filed 5 lawsuits in an attempt to fight back against the jerks who may have been responsible for it, and certainly for other ads like it all over the web.
