General Discussion

onehandle

(51,122 posts) Sat Jul 6, 2013, 12:51 PM Jul 2013

Google Pays Off AdBlock Plus to Not Block Google Ads

Any advanced Internetter knows that the best way to enjoy the pure Internet is to get an ad blocker. It zaps away all the excess and gives you the meaty good stuff. However, it looks like companies are figuring ways to circumvent ad blockers... by paying them off. Google is reportedly paying one of the most popular ad blockers, AdBlock Plus, to not block Google's ads.

Basically, Google is getting Google ads whitelisted from the ad blocking service. It's unclear how much Google is paying AdBlock Plus and what other companies are doing the same but AdBlock Plus has always (since 2011, at least) maintained a whitelist to allow ads that are nonintrusive to exist on the Internet.

http://gizmodo.com/google-supposedly-paid-off-adblock-plus-to-not-block-go-682029020

10 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

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Google Pays Off AdBlock Plus to Not Block Google Ads (Original Post) onehandle Jul 2013 OP

Someone needs to figure out how to get around this madokie Jul 2013 #1

Look up how to change your hosts file (if you're on a PC) TlalocW Jul 2013 #7

Ok. They will be blocked regardless. Mr. David Jul 2013 #2

That could explain why - RC Jul 2013 #3

Try DuckDuckGo randr Jul 2013 #4

wow! yellowblis Jul 2013 #5

This will only bring on a whole slew of replacements that do the job. L0oniX Jul 2013 #6

I can't tell - is this just a default that can be changed NYC Liberal Jul 2013 #8

AdBan plus AdBlock plus Ghostery TalkingDog Jul 2013 #9

It's been like this since v2.0 ChromeFoundry Aug 2013 #10

madokie

(51,076 posts)

1. Someone needs to figure out how to get around this

Reply to onehandle (Original post)

Sat Jul 6, 2013, 01:00 PM

Jul 2013

and share it with the rest of us. I have google.com blocked in my preferences and that seems to help some.

TlalocW

(15,389 posts)

7. Look up how to change your hosts file (if you're on a PC)

Reply to madokie (Reply #1)

Sat Jul 6, 2013, 02:32 PM

Jul 2013

Essentially what you do is enter in a website and set its IP address to 127.0.0.0 in the file, which makes your browser look for the site on your computer, and when it doesn't find it, it gives up.

The hard part about this is getting the addresses that you want to block. When you're loading a website (if your browser is set up like mine), in the lower left, you'll see addresses that the website is accessing flash by as they load content from those sites. For instance, on democraticunderground.com, you'll see that address, but if this website were set up this particular way (I don't know if it is), you might also see imgserver.democraticunderground.com because maybe all the images for the pages are stored there. If you start seeing things like ads.google.com then you can enter them into your hosts file.

On some sites, you can download hosts file that already have a number of blocked entries in them so you might be able to find one that blocks google ads already.

TlalocW

Mr. David

(535 posts)

2. Ok. They will be blocked regardless.

Reply to onehandle (Original post)

Sat Jul 6, 2013, 01:02 PM

Jul 2013

If Adblock Plus gets paid off, then it's time to abandon the app and find another and better app to continue to block Google ads.

RC

(25,592 posts)

3. That could explain why -

Reply to onehandle (Original post)

Sat Jul 6, 2013, 01:03 PM

Jul 2013

I have Ghostery installed on some of my computers. Lately (like a few months) I have been getting miscellaneous ads sliding in from the right. It didn't use to be that way. Didn't seem to matter where I was, DU, The Register, etc. I might have to update my Hosts file again.

randr

(12,414 posts)

4. Try DuckDuckGo

Reply to onehandle (Original post)

Sat Jul 6, 2013, 01:26 PM

Jul 2013

Claims to provide searches without tracers

yellowblis

(2 posts)

5. wow!

Reply to onehandle (Original post)

Sat Jul 6, 2013, 01:39 PM

Jul 2013

that's really shoking and nice news!

L0oniX

(31,493 posts)

6. This will only bring on a whole slew of replacements that do the job.

Reply to onehandle (Original post)

Sat Jul 6, 2013, 01:42 PM

Jul 2013

You can't beat open source. Google will be paying off a lot of ad blocker makers.

NYC Liberal

(20,136 posts)

8. I can't tell - is this just a default that can be changed

Reply to onehandle (Original post)

Sat Jul 6, 2013, 02:45 PM

Jul 2013

(ie I can edit the whitelist after I install), or is this some hard coded thing that cannot be changed?

TalkingDog

(9,001 posts)

9. AdBan plus AdBlock plus Ghostery

Reply to onehandle (Original post)

Sat Jul 6, 2013, 03:11 PM

Jul 2013

heehee....

ChromeFoundry

(3,270 posts)

10. It's been like this since v2.0

Reply to onehandle (Original post)

Tue Aug 6, 2013, 02:39 PM

Aug 2013

https://adblockplus.org/en/acceptable-ads

Plus, you can disable this with a single checkbox in the filter preferences. The add-in is free... you are welcome to write your own add-in that does a better job.

If you think Google is violating the TOS agreement with AdBlock Plus, you can always report them here: https://adblockplus.org/en/getting_started#false-negatives

Also, any advertiser can submit a request to have their ads white-listed by default.

Will all "acceptable" ads be unblocked?

No. Unfortunately, it isn't technically possible to recognize ads that meet our Acceptable Ads criteria automatically. We have agreements with some websites and advertisers that only advertising matching our criteria will be used. These ads will be unblocked, i.e., added to the Acceptable Ads exception list which is enabled per default.

No applicant will be favored or treated differently, and no one can buy their way onto the whitelist. Everyone has to comply with the criteria and everyone has to go through the same process before the ads qualify as "acceptable."

How do we make money?

We are being paid by some larger properties that serve non-intrusive advertisements that want to participate in the Acceptable Ads initiative.

Whitelisting is free for all small and medium-sized websites and blogs. However, managing this list requires significant effort on our side and this task cannot be completely taken over by volunteers as it happens with common filter lists.

Note that we will never whitelist any ads that don't meet these criteria. There is no way to buy a spot in the whitelist. Also note that whitelisting is free for small- and medium-sized websites.

In addition, we received startup capital from our investors, like Tim Schumacher, who believe in Acceptable Ads and want to see the concept succeed.

Maybe Google is not as evil as they are in your Apple-nuttery filled dreams.
You could always install ABP on Safari... Oh wait, AdBlock Plus is still not supported on the Safari browser because of issues with the Safari developer program. Maybe Apple just doesn't want this nonsense running on their browser.

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