Editing Ad blocking (section)

==Benefits==
For users, benefits of ad blocking software include quicker loading and cleaner looking web pages with fewer [[distraction]]s,<ref name="mfit">{{cite book |title=Internet Marketing for Information Technology Companies: Proven Online Techniques to Increase Sales and Profits for Hardware, Software and Networking Companies |last=Silverstein |first=Barry |year=2001 |publisher=Maximum Press |isbn=1885068670 |page=[https://archive.org/details/internetmarketin0000silv/page/130 130] |url=https://archive.org/details/internetmarketin0000silv |url-access=registration |access-date=23 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Brinkman |first1=Martin |title=How to block web fonts to improve privacy |url=https://www.ghacks.net/2022/09/17/how-to-block-web-fonts-to-improve-privacy/ |website=[[gHacks|Ghacks Technology News]] |access-date=22 December 2022 |date=17 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=James |title=Why It's OK to Block Ads |url=http://blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/2015/10/why-its-ok-to-block-ads/ |website=Practical Ethics |access-date=22 December 2022 |date=16 October 2015}}</ref> protection from [[malvertising]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Whittaker |first1=Zack |title=Even the FBI says you should use an ad blocker |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/22/fbi-ad-blocker/ |website=[[TechCrunch]] |access-date=22 December 2022 |date=22 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601057/are-ad-blockers-needed-to-stay-safe-online/ |title=Are Ad Blockers Needed to Stay Safe Online? |last=Simonite |first=Tom |work=MIT Technology Review |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=9 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181109152125/https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601057/are-ad-blockers-needed-to-stay-safe-online/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Cyber Criminals Impersonating Brands Using Search Engine Advertisement Services to Defraud Users |url=https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2022/PSA221221?=8324278624 |website=[[Internet Crime Complaint Center|Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)]] |access-date=13 February 2023 |date=December 21, 2022}}</ref> stopping intrusive actions from ads,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://support.google.com/webtools/answer/7347327 |title=Abusive experiences |publisher=Google Inc. |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=21 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621091314/https://support.google.com/webtools/answer/7347327 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Expanding user protections on the web |website=Chromium Blog |url=https://blog.chromium.org/2017/11/expanding-user-protections-on-web.html?m=1 |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=1 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201223855/https://blog.chromium.org/2017/11/expanding-user-protections-on-web.html?m=1 |url-status=live}}</ref> reducing the amount of data downloaded by the user,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Web bloat isn't a knowledge problem|website=Christian Heilmann|url=https://christianheilmann.com/2017/01/02/web-bloat-isnt-a-knowledge-problem/|date=2017-01-02|access-date=2021-08-31}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Website Obesity Crisis|website=Idle Words|url=https://idlewords.com/talks/website_obesity.htm|access-date=2021-08-31}}</ref> lower power consumption,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sectheory.com/browser-power-consumption.htm |title=Browser Power Consumption |publisher=SecTheory |date=1 December 2008 |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=11 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111101843/http://www.sectheory.com/browser-power-consumption.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cs.columbia.edu/~lierranli/coms6998-11Fall2012/papers/eprof_eurosys2012.pdf|title=Fine Grained Energy Accounting on Smartphones with Eprof|last1=Pathak|first1=Abhinav|last2=Hu|first2=Y. Charlie|publisher=Microsoft|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323225452/https://www.cs.columbia.edu/~lierranli/coms6998-11Fall2012/papers/eprof_eurosys2012.pdf|archive-date=23 March 2019|access-date=23 March 2019|last3=Zhang|first3=Ming}}</ref> privacy benefits gained through the exclusion of [[web tracking]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Eddy |first1=Max |title=The Best Ad Blockers for 2022 |url=https://www.pcmag.com/picks/best-ad-blockers |website=[[PCMag]] |access-date=22 December 2022 |language=en |date=30 April 2022}}</ref> and preventing undesirable websites from making ad revenue out of the user's visit.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

Publishers and their representative trade bodies, on the other hand, argue that web ads provide revenue to website owners, which enable the website owners to create or otherwise purchase content for the website. Publishers state that the prevalent use of ad blocking software and devices could adversely affect website owner revenue.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ghosh|first=Sudipto|date=2017-10-23|title=OnAudience Report Finds US Publishers Lose over $15.8 Billion Revenue Annually Due to Ad Blocking|url=https://martechseries.com/video/brand-safety/onaudience-report-finds-us-publishers-lose-15-8-billion-revenue-annually-due-ad-blocking/|access-date=2020-12-11|website=MarTech Series|language=en-US|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202031840/https://martechseries.com/video/brand-safety/onaudience-report-finds-us-publishers-lose-15-8-billion-revenue-annually-due-ad-blocking/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===User experience===
Ad blocking software may have other benefits to users' [[quality of life]], as it decreases Internet users' exposure to advertising and marketing industries, which promote the purchase of numerous consumer products and services that are potentially harmful or unhealthy<ref name="auto1">{{cite web |url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/7-advertising-tricks-you-should-stop-falling-for.html/ |title=7 Tricks Advertisers Use to Manipulate You into Spending More Money |first=Chloe |last=Della Costa |date=22 May 2017 |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=23 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323225452/https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/7-advertising-tricks-you-should-stop-falling-for.html/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/why-kid-focused-fast-food-marketing-is-economically-toxic.html/ |title=Do You Know Who Spends All Day Thinking About Your Kids? |first=Sam |last=Becker |date=21 May 2015 |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=23 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323225448/https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/why-kid-focused-fast-food-marketing-is-economically-toxic.html/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and on creating the urge to buy immediately.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/234410 |last=Templeman |first=Mike |title=10 Marketing Tricks From the Pros |date=3 June 2014 |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=31 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531074636/https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/234410 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/Editorial/Feature/Programmatic-Advertising-The-Tools-Tips-and-Tricks-of-the-Trade-109353.htm |title=Programmatic Advertising: The Tools, Tips, and Tricks of the Trade |last=Charski |first=Mindy |access-date=23 March 2019 |date=14 March 2016 |archive-date=10 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610020256/http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/Editorial/Feature/Programmatic-Advertising-The-Tools-Tips-and-Tricks-of-the-Trade-109353.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The average person sees more than 5000 advertisements daily, many of which are from online sources.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sjinsights.net/2014/09/29/new-research-sheds-light-on-daily-ad-exposures/ |title=New Research Sheds Light on Daily Ad Exposures |last=Johnson |first=Sheree |publisher=SJ Insights, LLC |access-date=29 August 2022 |date=29 September 2014}}</ref>

Unwanted advertising can also harm the advertisers themselves if users become annoyed by the ads. Irritated users might make a conscious effort to avoid the goods and services of firms which are using annoying "pop-up" ads which block the Web content the user is trying to view.<ref name="conferences.sigcomm.org">{{cite web |last1=Pujol |first1=Enric |first2=Oliver |last2=Hohlfeld |first3=Anja |last3=Feldmann |title=Annoyed Users: Ads and Ad-Block Usage in the Wild |publisher=ACM SigComm Conference |url=http://conferences.sigcomm.org/imc/2015/papers/p93.pdf |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=30 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630003216/http://conferences.sigcomm.org/imc/2015/papers/p93.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> For users not interested in making purchases, the blocking of ads can also save time. Any ad that appears on a website exerts a toll on the user's "attention budget" since each ad enters the user's field of view and must either be consciously ignored or closed, or dealt with in some other way.  A user who is strongly focused on reading solely the content that they are seeking likely has no desire to be diverted by advertisements that seek to sell unneeded or unwanted goods and services.<ref name="conferences.sigcomm.org"/> In contrast, users who are actively seeking items to purchase might appreciate advertising, in particular targeted ads.<ref>{{cite web |last=Chapin |first=Andrew |title=Stop Annoying People: How to Create Ads People Want to See |publisher=SemRush Blog |url=https://www.semrush.com/blog/stop-annoying-people-how-to-create-ads-people-want-to-see/ |date=5 April 2016 |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=23 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323225450/https://www.semrush.com/blog/stop-annoying-people-how-to-create-ads-people-want-to-see/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Security===
Another important aspect is improving security; online advertising subjects users to a higher risk of infecting their devices with [[computer virus]]es than surfing pornography [[website]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/307680/online-advertising-more-likely-to-spread-malware-than-porn |title=Online Advertising More Likely to Spread Malware Than Porn |work=PCMAG |first=Stephanie |last=Mlot |date=1 February 2013 |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=11 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111142534/https://www.pcmag.com/news/307680/online-advertising-more-likely-to-spread-malware-than-porn |url-status=live }}</ref> In a high-profile case, the malware was distributed through advertisements provided to [[YouTube]] by a malicious customer of [[Google]]'s [[Doubleclick]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.heise.de/security/meldung/YouTube-angeblich-als-Virenschleuder-missbraucht-2125073.html |title=YouTube angeblich als Virenschleuder missbraucht |work=heise.de |first=Ronald |last=Eikenberg |date=26 February 2014 |access-date=23 March 2019 |language=de |archive-date=23 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323225449/https://www.heise.de/security/meldung/YouTube-angeblich-als-Virenschleuder-missbraucht-2125073.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://labs.bromium.com/2014/02/21/the-wild-wild-web-youtube-ads-serving-malware/ |title=The Wild Wild Web: YouTube ads serving malware |work=Bromium Labs |date=21 February 2014 |first=McEnroe |last=Navaraj |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323111707/http://labs.bromium.com/2014/02/21/the-wild-wild-web-youtube-ads-serving-malware/ |archive-date=23 March 2017 |access-date=23 March 2019}}</ref> In August 2015, a [[0-day exploit]] in the Firefox browser was discovered in an advertisement on a website.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.mozilla.org/security/2015/08/06/firefox-exploit-found-in-the-wild/ |title=Firefox exploit found in the wild |work=Mozilla Security Blog |first=Daniel |last=Veditz |date=6 August 2015 |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=7 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807111017/https://blog.mozilla.org/security/2015/08/06/firefox-exploit-found-in-the-wild/ |url-status=live }}</ref> When Forbes required users to disable ad blocking before viewing their website, those users were immediately served with pop-under malware.<ref name="blockthat">{{cite web |title=You say advertising, I say block that malware |publisher=Engadget |date=8 January 2016 |url=https://www.engadget.com/2016/01/08/you-say-advertising-i-say-block-that-malware/ |first=Violet |last=Blue |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=25 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825102009/https://www.engadget.com/2016/01/08/you-say-advertising-i-say-block-that-malware/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Australian Signals Directorate]] recommends individuals and organizations block advertisements to improve their [[information security]] posture and mitigate potential [[malvertising]] attacks and machine compromise.<ref>{{cite web |author=Australian Signals Directorate |title=Strategies to Mitigate Cyber Security Incidents – Mitigation Details |url=https://acsc.gov.au/infosec/top-mitigations/mitigations-2017-details.htm |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |access-date=23 March 2019 |quote=Block Internet advertisements using web browser software (and web content filtering in the gateway), due to the prevalent threat of adversaries using malicious advertising (malvertising) to compromise the integrity of legitimate websites to compromise visitors to such websites. Some organisations might choose to support selected websites that rely on advertising for revenue by enabling just their ads and potentially risking compromise. |archive-date=2 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190302012904/https://acsc.gov.au/infosec/top-mitigations/mitigations-2017-details.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The information security firm [[Webroot]] also notes employing ad blockers provides effective countermeasures against malvertising campaigns for less technically sophisticated computer users.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Guide to Avoid Being a Crypto-Ransomware Victim |url=https://www-cdn.webroot.com/4515/0463/3759/SMB_Guide_to_Avoid_Being_Ransomware_Victim.pdf |publisher=[[Webroot|Webroot Inc.]] |access-date=23 March 2019 |pages=6 |quote=While many websites need advertisements to stay online, we have seen more and more popular websites (i.e. millions of visitors a year) infecting customers due to 3rd party hosted adverts on their websites – malvertising. [...] Ad blocker plugins can be installed and left without any user input and are very useful for stopping less technical users from being infected. |archive-date=23 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323225450/https://www-cdn.webroot.com/4515/0463/3759/SMB_Guide_to_Avoid_Being_Ransomware_Victim.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Ad blocking is recommended by the [[FBI]] to prevent online scams.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shah |first1=Saqib |date=22 December 2022 |title=The FBI is advising people to use an ad blocker as part of an online scam warning |language=en |work=[[Evening Standard]] |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/fbi-recommends-ad-blocker-online-scams-b1048998.html |access-date=25 February 2023}}</ref>

===Monetary===
Ad blocking reduces page load time and saves bandwidth for the users. Users who pay for total transferred bandwidth ("capped" or pay-for-usage connections), including most mobile users worldwide, have a direct financial benefit from filtering an ad before it is loaded. Using an ad blocker is a common method of improving internet speeds.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-07-16|title=37 Ways To Improve Internet Speed – How To Stop Buffering|url=https://broadbandsavvy.com/how-to-improve-internet-speed/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=Broadband Savvy|language=en-US|archive-date=3 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203185233/https://broadbandsavvy.com/how-to-improve-internet-speed/|url-status=live}}</ref> Analysis of the 200 most popular news sites (as ranked by [[Alexa Internet|Alexa]]) in 2015 showed that [[Firefox|Mozilla Firefox]] Tracking Protection led to a 39% reduction in data usage and a 44% median reduction in page load time.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kontaxis |first1=Georgios |last2=Chew |first2=Monica |date=2015 |title=Tracking Protection in Firefox For Privacy and Performance |url=https://www.ieee-security.org/TC/SPW2015/W2SP/papers/W2SP_2015_submission_32.pdf |journal=IEEE Computer Society's Technical Committee on Security and Privacy |arxiv=1506.04104 |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=13 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190613095324/http://www.ieee-security.org/TC/SPW2015/W2SP/papers/W2SP_2015_submission_32.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> According to research performed by ''[[The New York Times]]'', ad blockers reduced data consumption and sped upload time by more than half on 50 news sites, including ''The New York Times'' itself. Journalists concluded that "visiting the home page of Boston.com (the site with most ad data in the study) every day for a month would cost the equivalent of about $9.50 in data usage just for the ads".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/01/business/cost-of-mobile-ads.html?_r=1 |title=The Cost of Mobile Ads on 50 News Websites |last1=Aisch |first1=Gregor |last2=Andrews |first2=Wilson |last3=Keller |first3=Josh |date=1 October 2015 |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=3 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403190225/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/01/business/cost-of-mobile-ads.html?_r=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

It is a known problem with most web browsers, including [[Mozilla Firefox|Firefox]], that restoring sessions often plays multiple embedded ads at once.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/860098 |title=Upon startup multiple audio sources begin playing. I can't find the tab to kill them! |publisher=Support.mozilla.org |date=10 August 2011 |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=29 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029191857/http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/860098 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, this annoyance can easily be averted simply by setting the web browser to clear all cookies and [[Web browsing history|browsing-history]] information each time the browser software is closed.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} Another preventive option is to use a script blocker, which enables the user to disable all scripts and then to selectively re-enable certain scripts as desired, in order to determine the role of each script.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} The user thus can very quickly learn which scripts are truly necessary (from the standpoint of webpage functionality) and consequently which sources of scripts are undesirable, and this insight is helpful in visiting other websites in general.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} Thus by precisely controlling which scripts are run in each webpage viewed, the user retains full control over what happens on their computer CPU and computer screen.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}