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Microsoft Denies Edge Is Getting A Native Ad Blocker (venturebeat.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the misleading-reports dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from VentureBeat: On top of the slew of news coming out of Microsoft's Build 2016 developer conference, a story broke yesterday that Microsoft was building an ad blocker into its Microsoft Edge browser. While this would be a big deal, it apparently isn't true. "We have no plans to build a native ad blocker into Microsoft Edge," a Microsoft spokesperson told VentureBeat. Microsoft was originally referencing the extension support it is building into Edge, which would allow ad blocking to work exactly like any other desktop browser. For those hoping for an Edge browser with built-in ad blocking, well, you're stuck with 'niche browsers' like Brave from Mozilla cofounder Brendan Eich and Adblock Browser.

24 of 62 comments (clear)

  1. Desktop vs Browser by rtb61 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    M$ owns the windows 10 desktop, of course they would allow blocking ads in the browser. Blocking ads on the desktop, well, yeah can bet that's one thing that will never happen, not your OS, not your computer.

    --
    Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    1. Re:Desktop vs Browser by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Thats 270 million users via the locked in desktop. Browser ads would be getting in for free and MS wont allow that.
      Next idea will be to slow the startup at the perfect time. Only allow applications to cover the daily desktop ads after the user has been fully exposed to the marketing for a set time.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    2. Re:Desktop vs Browser by JediJorgie · · Score: 1

      That's BS, it has already been made clear that there will be a version of AD Block using new extension support.

    3. Re:Desktop vs Browser by Ravaldy · · Score: 1

      Here we go. Another MS bashing contest. There's nothing refreshing about coming here anymore. It's like talking to two dumb rednecks that argue that Dodge is better than Ford. Whatever happened to constructive arguments that aren't intending to just draw MOD UP from a few angry computer users.

      "No ADs" will kill free services. You can argue with me until you're red in the face but that is just fact. No money, no service. Nobody is going to fork up their time, hosting expenses and whatever other expenses to provide users with free everything. You know that 25GB of storage, well they aren't free to those hosting it so ads pay for that. The minute the ad value goes down (and it already has significantly), you will see less and less revenue.

      MS has a very small portion of the ad market so an alternative to beating your competitor is to slow him down. Blocking adds on their browser will block far more revenue from Google than MS. That depending on who you ask could be a real win.

      Blocking ads on the desktop, well, yeah can bet that's one thing that will never happen, not your OS, not your computer.

      You have ads on your desktop? I'm asking because I've had Windows 10 installed since August and have yet to see 1 ad. And regardless of your answer there will always be a version that has no ads because corporations will never tolerate it.

  2. Contradiction by Livius · · Score: 3, Insightful

    An ad blocker would defeat the purpose of Edge. They will want a native *content* blocker so that nothing will obstruct the delivery of adverts.

    1. Re:Contradiction by C0L0PH0N · · Score: 1

      A built in ad blocker would be the ONLY reason I would ever try Edge. It seems designed to sell MS products and ads. I will remain forever wedded to Firefox, and if it goes away, then Chrome. With good strong protection from tracking and ads of course. I am of the belief that ads try to replace my own reasoning with the reasoning of the ad. I find it intrusive and offensive, unless I have sought out the ad.

    2. Re:Contradiction by KGIII · · Score: 1

      Opera Developer (a couple of versions ahead of stable) has native ad blocking. It works well, actually. It's based on Chromium but the Google stuff is ripped out.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    3. Re:Contradiction by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 1

      Actually, native anything in a browser other than core browser functionality plus a robust plugin system seems like a bad idea in principle. Why integrate a built-in feature that's better off as a plugin anyhow? Remember Firefox and Pocket?

      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
    4. Re:Contradiction by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      I will remain forever wedded to Firefox, and if it goes away, then Chrome.

      Firefox is just about to get the boot from my machines. I have membership (that I can't get out of) in some Yahoo groups. Due to a mail issue, I had to go to their web mail reader for a few days. Up past my NoScript and ad-blockers and all the other digi-condoms I have on my computers, the screen goes dark, and up pops a window trying to get me to integrate my Yahoo experience into my Firefox, then the screen scrolls down so I cannot simply hit the close button.

      Sorry, Yahoo, sorry Firefox. Your Faustian deals don't win you anything but enmity. I don't want to see what some housewife in Pennsylvania found that is driving insurance companies crazy, nor do I want to make a NCAA basketball tourney bracket. I don't want I wanna read my mail. Right behind that roadblock you put up. So it's going to be something else very soon.

      Fortunately I can get the group mailings in the sane mail reader I use once again.

      Some interesting info on what these assholes are demanding that we accept:

      http://www.extremetech.com/int... I wonder how this treating the user as the enemy is going to work out?

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    5. Re: Contradiction by KGIII · · Score: 1

      They did. From version 15 to about 23 it was pretty crappy (post code switch). From about 28 it became good again. From 23 to 28 it was usable. It's pretty good again. I typically stick with the beta build but I use different browsers for different things with different defaults so I have stable, beta, and dev installed. Err... At the moment, they're all running. :/

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  3. Re:Hosts = 'everywhere' natively & work best by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

    Sounds like malware. Also, looks like it was written in Delphi! Terrible! -apk

  4. Re:And why would they? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Exactly. And now the OS has ads built-in for things like Office 365 and Skype, and Cortana heavily pushes Bing services using ad-like "content" when you search, ads on the lock screen, and the useless appy apps also have ads. They're pushing VERY heavily for everyone to develop appy apps, which most of the time are ad-supported. MS is really getting into ads. Expect more and more of them.

  5. I'd like a show of hands by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

    Who is going to trust an adblocker from Microsoft?

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re:I'd like a show of hands by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 2

      Are you asking if I trust that Microsoft can make a web-browser that won't display pages the way they were designed? Yes, actually.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  6. Native ad blocker by rossdee · · Score: 2, Funny

    It doesn't block native ads, but if Trump wins it will have to block immigrant ads

    1. Re:Native ad blocker by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      It doesn't block native ads, but if Trump wins it will have to block immigrant ads

      I understand he plans to remove the torch from the Statue of Liberty, and replace it with her showing us her middle finger.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  7. Niche browsers? by wbr1 · · Score: 1
    Opera has it now:http://www.opera.com/blogs/desktop/2016/03/native-ad-blocking-feature-opera-for-computers/

    not mainstream but not as Niche as TFS mentions

    --
    Silence is a state of mime.
    1. Re:Niche browsers? by fbobraga · · Score: 1

      Nice to know it!

  8. Built-in ad blockers by sgunhouse · · Score: 1

    "For those hoping for an Edge browser with built-in ad blocking, well, you're stuck with 'niche browsers' like Brave from Mozilla cofounder Brendan Eich and Adblock Browser."

    And Opera (Beta and Developer versions).

  9. I dont think so by Pain_Center · · Score: 1

    I don't think so that Microsoft going to make that type of ad blocker. If its happen then its should be paid or pro version.

  10. Re:Ad blocking in Edge is easy by fbobraga · · Score: 1

    this https://www.privoxy.org/ looks interesting: I don't knew it [thanks"], and just promoted it to network managers here on my [public sector] company :-)

  11. Re:And why would they? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

    MS should get into malware too: they could greatly improve their profitability. By serving malware-laden ads to their customers, and then offering malware clean-up services and security software, they could make a lot of money. If it's OK for a large website like forbes.com to serve malware, why shouldn't MS?

  12. Re:Ad blocking in Edge is easy by tehlinux · · Score: 1

    From my experience, Edge doesn't seem to block all the ads that IE11 will with privoxy. I suspect it doesn't actually send all traffic through the proxy, but I can't be bothered to verify that claim.

    --
    Most linux users don't know this, but the man pages were named after Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris fsck'ing hates noobs!
  13. Re:Hosts = 'everywhere' natively & work best by Anonymous+Cow+Ward · · Score: 1

    If your endorsement is genuine then log in and put your name to it.

    -Anonymous Coward

    --
    Examine even your most deeply held beliefs. Nobody is always right.