With approximately 198 million active ad-blocker users globally, the publishing sector faces staggering financial losses estimated at $22 billion (£13.9 billion) this year alone, according to a recent PageFair report. This scenario has pushed Adblock Plus into the limelight as a critical concern for publishers.
Since its inception, Adblock Plus, an extension created by the German startup Eyeo, has disrupted the advertising landscape. Till Faida, CEO of Eyeo, remarked, “Most of our users are not against ads; they’re just annoyed by the banners and pop-ups.” This insight led to the launch of ‘Acceptable Ads’ in 2011, a whitelist comprising over 1,000 publishers such as Google and Amazon. Eyeo’s team manually reviews advertisements to determine eligibility for the whitelist, aiming to strike a balance between user preference and publisher revenue.
Faida revealed that approximately ten percent of whitelisted publishers pay Eyeo, which allows the service to be offered free to the remaining ninety percent. However, this strategy has faced significant legal opposition. In May 2015, Eyeo won its fourth legal battle, this time against German broadcasters RTL and ProSiebenSat1, who argued that the whitelist was anti-competitive.
Despite the legal challenges, Adblock Plus continues to expand its influence. The upcoming introduction of new tools in Apple’s iOS 9 has raised questions about the future relevance of Adblock Plus. Faida, however, is optimistic. “The Apple update will just offer an API to companies like us, which is great news,” he stated. “It will make it a lot easier for us.”
Adblock Plus remains a pivotal player in the ongoing debate over digital advertising. While publishers grapple with financial challenges and legal battles, the evolving technological landscape continues to open new pathways for ad-blocker services.
