Adblocking is not illegal in and of itself, but circumvention of publisher ad-block detection scripts is. Current-generation German adblockers add an additional technology layer to block advertising, which goes around these scripts. This circumvention is expressly against the law in the U.S. and EU and in most other signatory countries.
Adblock Plus violated copyright law
According to Axel Springer, the company that owns the rights to many websites, Adblock Plus has violated copyright law. In a recent court case, Axel Springer argued that Adblock Plus had infringed copyright by interfering with the content of websites. However, Adblock Plus did not alter the copyrighted content itself, it only interfered with its display.
The company behind AdBlock Plus is the developer of an ad blocker browser extension that blocks all ads from interrupting a user’s browsing experience. The program is widely available and works on many platforms, including Chrome and Firefox. The software works by blocking ads on websites that have been approved by the publisher. This process requires that large publishers participate in the Acceptable Ads program.
In an earlier decision, the court found that Napster violated copyright law and materially contributed to the infringement. The company offered support services to its users to find and download music. However, in the current case, there is no evidence to suggest that Mozilla is liable for AdBlock Plus. The company developed the program and made it available through its website.
Despite these allegations, AdBlock Plus’ developers are confident that they have not broken any laws. However, they are still fighting back. Earlier this year, Axel Springer had sued the company behind Adblock Plus, claiming that the software altered the programming code of its websites and thereby violated copyright laws. Eyeo GmbH denied these accusations and said that the software was “almost ludicrous.”
Using an adblocker in a browser makes sense
Using german adblocker in your browser makes sense for several reasons. For instance, it can be very convenient when bandwidth is limited or if you’re visiting sites that are shady. It also blocks popups and other ads from websites.
Most ad blockers are browser extensions, and they check domain names against massive blacklists to prevent content from loading. The best ad blockers even block commercials in media players. They block them by hiding their elements, so they can’t be noticed while you’re browsing the internet.
Another advantage of ad blockers is that they speed up browsing. Because fewer ads are on a page, less content must be loaded, which speeds up the loading process. Nevertheless, using an ad blocker in a browser doesn’t come without its drawbacks. Not all of them are effective, and some can cause harm.
Another reason why ad blockers make sense is that they protect users’ privacy. Ad blockers prevent websites from tracking their browsing activity through third-party scripts. These scripts are often used by major online ad platforms and for marketing and product testing purposes. Many privacy-conscious users use ad blockers to protect their browsing history. But the problem with this is that ad blockers also have access to all the pages you load on your browser, which can potentially violate your privacy.
Blocking video ads is the most intrusive
Facebook videos are a prime example of intrusive video advertisements, and you can easily block them with an ad blocker. Facebook uses native video player modules to place ads within videos. When you view a Facebook video, you will notice a yellow dot on the screen’s bottom left corner. When you touch this yellow dot, the ad will begin playing. If you want to stop the video ad, open the profile section on the page, you are viewing and then return to the video.
Many people are turning to adblockers as a way to get rid of intrusive video ads. Some industry experts blame pre-roll and sidebar video ads for increasing ad blocker usage. These ads play videos without the user’s permission and interrupt your browsing experience. These videos usually contain unwanted video and sound.
Besides blocking video ads, an ad blocker also blocks trackers and third-party cookies. Mozilla Firefox supports ad blockers and provides a list of approved ad blockers. The AdBlocker Ultimate ad blocker can block any video ad in any website and also blocks popup ads.
