Google has a belated Valentine's Day gift for all you Chrome users out there. Tomorrow, Google will activate Chrome's new built-in ad blocker. It seems like a strange move for a company that generates so much of its income from advertising.
To be clear, Google's ad blocker is not going to function the way third-party tools like AdBlock Plus or uBlock Origin do. Google doesn't want Chrome to block all ads on the Internet -- that would be bad for business.
Instead, Google is taking aim at specific kinds of ads. In June of 2017, Google signed on with the Coalition for Better Ads. The group -- which also includes the likes of Facebook, Microsoft, Procter& Gamble, Unilever, and News Corp. -- set out to make the web a little nicer for users.
How? By taking annoying ads to task.
The Coalition wants to put a stop to ads that "disrupt [the user] experience, interrupt content and slow [their] browsing." That includes certain pop-up ads, ads that start playing audio as soon as they appear, countdown screens and "sticky" ads that cover a large portion of the screen.
Those are the kinds of ads that Chrome will start blocking tomorrow. If Chrome is your browser of choice you'll probably see fewer ads on some of the websites you visit, but you'll definitely still be seeing ads.
That's because Google publicly announced its intentions when it joined the Coalition last year. Advertisers and publishers have had more than half a year to get with the program. For those who played ball, it will be business as usual come tomorrow. Those who haven't taken the appropriate steps will feel the ad blocker's impact very quickly.
With a commanding 63% share of the web browser market and more than 2 billion installs, Google's ad blocker will provide plenty of encouragement to holdouts once it's turned on this week. Ultimately, Google says, "these changes will not only make Chrome better for you, but also improve the web for everyone."
