Ever since advertisers discovered that they could make our lives crazier by putting online ads and interrupting our web browsing activities, the battle between the pop up ads and the irate internet surfer has been ongoing. And advertisers have also “invaded” mobile devices as well. Ad blocker apps have helped a little, but it still needs that extra step of downloading the app and installing it. But now, something that Asus has done to their proprietary browser might be the start of a trend for other browsers.
Asus’ browser has now baked in AdBlock Plus into all of its devices, therefore helping users to avoid not just those annoying ads but also to protect them from other malicious software. These pop up ads actually make users susceptible to malware and other harmful elements. Even though there are only around 15 million users of the Asus browser, it could still set a precedent for other smaller browsers to actually put built-in ad blockers in order to attract users who are fed up with these ads.
AdBlock Plus co-founder and CEO Till Faida said that Asus is actually the first major hardware manufacturer to integrate their software into mobile devices and that this should serve as a “call for innovation” within the online ad industry. If other browsers and OEMs will do this too, especially the bigger brands, then this will be good for consumers.
But of course they will be met with resistance from online advertisers, who have only just accepted the transition from print to digital. Asus has found a way to mollify them with the Acceptable Ad program, which allows vetted and unobtrusive ads to make it through the block.This could be a way to find a compromise between the consumers and advertisers.
VIA: Motherboard
