Blocking online ads is one topic that can be endlessly debated, but EE CEO Olaf Swantee wants more action and less talk.
The leader of the British mobile carrier could set an important precedent by allowing clients to choose the quantity and quality of the ads that fill their mobile displays.
In a talk with The Sunday Telegraph, Olaf Swantee, CEO at EE, mentioned that his company is undergoing a "strategic review." He also noted that some ads add extra value to the browsing experience and can even instill a connection between the consumer and the advertised product.
"We think it's important that, over time, customers start to be offered more choice and control over the level and intensity of ads on mobile," Swantee said.
A lot of companies base their existence on online advertising, but the end user tends to be under a hailstorm of pop-ups, banners and auto-playing videos. This not only slows down the web browsing, but security can also be affected by means of adware. Some ad blockers allow you to whitelist pages where you consider that advertising is done in a respectable manner, while other stop all ads, regardless of source.
To get away from online ads, handset owners can install a browser extension for Android devices or a third party iOS app. UK carrier EE plans to see how it can evade the ads regardless of their customers' OS.
"Starting an important debate around customer choice" is a priority in Swantee's opinion.
Data carriers who present themselves as advert-free could get a competitive advantage over the rival networks. There is another side to the story, however. If EE gets power of life and death over mobile ads on its own network, this gives the British mobile carrier leverage against Yahoo, Google or Microsoft. What this means is that EE could actually charge (read: blackmail) the American companies, just to keep their ads appearing on EE's handsets.
"[EE is] more seeking to enforce good behavior from advertisers than block them altogether," digital advertising specialist at Enders Analysis, Ian Maude, declared.
The implications are dire for the mobile advertising industry, as it risks losing around $3 billion if generalized ad blocking becomes commonplace. Also, if online advertising starts to depend on Internet service providers and carriers, all ad-supported businesses could potentially become more expensive. The end user would probably get a leaner, friendlier and safer web experience, though.
