200 Million People Now Use Ad Blockers With Half Of Those Using Ad Block Plus

200 Million People Now Use Ad Blockers With Half Of Those Using Ad Block Plus
B&T Magazine
By B&T Magazine



The makers of ad blocking software Ad Block Plus says it now has 100 million users worldwide which represents half of all the planet’s users of the software.

While the company counts “users” as an “active installation” it doesn’t necessarily mean people are using it all the time, with recent reports saying most users of the software did so to save their phone data and not to actually block ads.

Although actual numbers are vague, it is reported that only seven per cent of Aussies use ad blocking software (Greece reported to be the world’s  biggest user at 36 per cent of the population).

A statement from Ad Block Plus said it had just hit the 100 million mark, however, even its actual numbers are sketchy. The statement said: “These are our latest numbers, which we’ve been working for months on getting more accurate without breaking our strict privacy policy. Harder than it sounds … Happily, we’ve got some stupid smart data scientists who’ve figured out a way to get an accurate estimation.”

Meanwhile, one of the most popular sections on Reddit, /r/technology, is considering banning links from websites that force users to turn off their ad blockers. The idea has been put to its subscribers with 90 per cent agreeing.

Some of the world’s top publishers are experimenting with banning users who activate their ad blocking software. These include: Forbes, GQ, City AM, The Washington Post, The Daily Telegraph, and Bild.

A moderator to the /r/technology website wrote:

It has come to our attention that many websites such as Forbes and Wired are now requiring users to disable ad blockers to view content. Because Forbes requires users to do this and has then served malware to them we see this as a security risk to you our community. There are also sites such as Wall Street Journal that have implemented pay-walls which we were are also considering banning.

We would like all of your thoughts on whether or not we should allow domains such as Forbes here on /r/technology while they continue to resort to such practices.

Thank you for the input.

 




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