During February of 2018, Google implemented ad filtering for “annoying” and intrusive ads in Chrome in North America and Europe. This implementation was pre-announced in 2017 with the intention to compel publishers to adopt advertising standards established by the Coalition for Better Ads.
In response to the rise of consumer ad-blocking, the coalition was formed. This bad-ads filtering for Chrome is going going global, and is rolling out to markets beyond just Europe and North America on on July 8. Google Chrome has a roughly 64% global browser market share.
Basically, if there are any sites featuring any of the four desktop or eight mobile ad categories banned under the Better Ads Standards as seen above, could see those units, or even all ads on the site, blocked.
Annoying ad formats can include the following:
- Pop-ups
- Auto-play video ads with sound
- Prestitial ads
- Flashing/animated ads
- Large sticky ads and full-screen scrollover ads
- And others
If somebody visits a site that failed Better Ad Standards, Chrome’s filter will block ads from rendering on the page. A message will be sent to the user that indicates that ads have been blocked but will ave the ability to “allow ads on this site.”