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iOS Ad Blocker "Crystal" Will Let Companies Pay To Show You Ads

Posted by samzenpus on from the anything-for-a-price dept.

pdclarry writes: Apple's iOS 9 now supports ad blockers. The most popular of these, Peace, was withdrawn after only a couple of days because the developer thought "it just doesn't feel good." Crystal then quickly rose to the top of the heap. But the developer of Crystal has announced that it will allow "acceptable ads" — for a fee from the advertiser. Crystal is a paid app; so you can now pay for the privilege of seeing ads.

15 of 229 comments (clear)

  1. That's just... dishonest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Dear consumer,

    Pay me money for my ad-blocking app!

    Dead advertiser,

    Hey, I got all these saps... er customers to pay me for ad blocking! Now pay me money for the privilege to advertise to them!!

    Sincerely,

    Jackass developer.

    1. Re: That's just... dishonest by mattventura · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The sad part is that for whatever reason, stuff that you would never dream of paying for on a desktop costs money on iOS. Everything from adblockers to solitaire games either seem to cost money or be ad-riddled.

    2. Re: That's just... dishonest by fracas · · Score: 5, Informative

      I actually did pay for it, and just demanded a refund. This is total bait-and-switch to the consumer, and extortion of the advertiser. Dean Murphy is scum.

    3. Re: That's just... dishonest by stevel · · Score: 4, Informative

      See http://www.imore.com/how-to-ge...

    4. Re: That's just... dishonest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      Starting with IOS9 you can compile and deploy apps on your device without being enrolled in IOS Developer Program. You only need to pay if you want to publish it in the App Store.

  2. That sounds like fraud to me by msobkow · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Changing the terms of the agreement for purchased products is not in the same league as changing the terms of a free product. When people pay for something, they expect it to do what they paid for.

    --
    I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
  3. Dear Crystal author..... by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dear Crystal author,

    Fuck you.

    Sincerely,

    -JustAnotherOldGuy

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    1. Re:Dear Crystal author..... by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

      close page
      search for another page serving same content
      5 seconds of googling later...

      You don't want to give me what I want? Ok. No problem.

      NEXT!

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    2. Re:Dear Crystal author..... by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 5, Funny

      BRB, there's some lawyers at the door who say they're from Apple. Should I use a shotgun or a chainsaw?

      Yes.

  4. Old adage by qbast · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you are not paying then you are the product. Unfortunately if your are paying, nothing prevents company from selling you anyway

  5. "Supports"? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Apple's iOS 9 now supports ad blockers.

    I think you mean "deigns to allow you to install".

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  6. Should Go the Other Way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If people are paying for an ad-blocker, that means they are willing to PAY for sites without ads. The smart thing to do would be to sell ad-free access to sites through the "ad-blocker" - the site gets paid, the user is happy.

    Just figure out a way to do it that doesn't involve tracking the user in the process because modern ad-blocking is at least as much about tracker-blocking as it is about ad-blocking.

  7. Optional by Mr_Silver · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As long as the developer of Crystal puts a tickbox in the preferences to allow you to block "acceptable advertising" then I don't see the issue. I understand that Crystal doesn't have a preferences screen right now, but it shouldn't be that hard to add one.

    People who are happy to see adverts as long as they meet some sort of "acceptable" criteria can have it turned off - and people who just never want to see an advert again can turn it on.

    Please don't let it be a repeat of Adblock Plus where all the nerdrage drowned out the few voices of reason that merely pointed out that all the anger could be resolved with the unchecking of a single tickbox in the preferences.

    --
    Avantslash - View Slashdot cleanly on your mobile phone.
  8. Bait and switch by fishscene · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I requested a refund. Seems like Apple promptly granted it to me. Not sure when the funds will be returned to my account though. I *strongly* urge everyone to do the same out of principle. Sling-Media pulled this stunt with the Slingbox. We need to nip this sort of thing in the bud.

  9. No longer top ad blocking app. by GrahamCox · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ...and Crystal plummets out of sight in 3...2...1...

    Me, I'm a bit miffed that I finally upgraded my iPhone 4S to iOS 9 so that I could install an ad-blocker, but then find that the 4S doesn't support ad blockers because it doesn't have a 64-bit chip. I have no idea why an ad blocker would require that. Some claim it needs high performance, but that doesn't make sense - surely blocking an ad reduces the performance required to display a page? Don't get it, seems like Apple just arbitrarily decided that ad blocking needs a modern device as an upgrade driver.