European Telecoms May Block Mobile Ads, Spelling Trouble For Google

Mark Wilson has news that may have a big impact on both advertisers and end-users who use their phones as portals to ad-supported websites. Several European telecom providers are apparently planning to use ad-blocking software at the data-center level, which would mean benefit for users (in the form of less obnoxious advertising, and less data being eaten by it) but quite a pickle for online advertisers, and sites that rely on advertising revenue. From BetaNews's article (based on this Financial Times article, paywalled): Talking to the Financial Times, one wireless carrier said that the software had been installed at its data centers and could be enabled by the end of the year. With the potential to automatically block most ads on web pages and within apps, the repercussion of the ad boycott could be huge as mobile providers try to wrestle control from the likes of Google. I just wish my mobile provider would start testing this out, too.

Comments

Re:Seems tempting, but terrible.

[Anonymous Coward]

> As much as people may dislike ads, having them blocked at the ISP level is a patented terrible idea

FTFY

Re: Bad good idea

[Anonymous Coward]

There's a lot of foreign crap we Europeans do not need nor want. EU citizens should know and think exactly the way the EU Commission tells them to. We stand united in our beliefs and our will to impose the Europeischesweltannschauung over the whole world, for its own good. Heil Europa!

Re: Sounds good

[Anonymous Coward]

Dammit people. Stop starting with "This.".
Like a toddler that isn't aware that his context may not be shared with others.

This. This is important.