Adblock Plus speaks out against Facebook's move to block ad blockers on desktop, arguing that it's "anti-user."
For those unfamiliar with the matter, Facebook announced on Aug. 9 that it will bypass ad blockers on the desktop version of its social network, forcing ads even on users who have ad-blocking software installed. New tweaks will make sponsored ads and legitimate status updates indistinguishable for an ad blocker, thus unleashing ads across the board.
Facebook says that users will be able to customize their ad experience, choosing not to see ads from a certain category or company, but otherwise there's no way around it: ad blocker or not, all Facebook users will see ads.
It didn't take long for Adblock Plus to react, saying that Facebook "just got all anti-user" and its move to bypass ad blockers "takes a dark path against user choice." Nevertheless, Adblock Plus notes that this is no reason to panic, as this "cat-and-mouse" chase is nothing new in the tech world.
At the same time, Adblock Plus highlights the irony in Facebook's message: the social network acknowledged that users have good reasons to block ads, but denies them the option to do so.
"In any case, it's hard to imagine Facebook or the brands that are being advertised on its site getting any sort of value for their ad dollar here: publishers (like Facebook) alienate their audience and advertisers (the brands) allow their cherished brand name to be shoved down people's throats. Yikes," adds Adblock Plus.
Facebook, for its part, believes that allowing users to tailor their ad experience will make ad blocking unnecessary, so it might as well bypass it altogether to give users a push.
The mobile Facebook apps have already been ignoring ad blockers for a while now, and it was only a matter of time before the practice extended to the Facebook site on desktop as well.
Adblock Plus' blog post on Facebook's latest move stirred some mixed reactions among the community. Judging by the user comments in response to the post, many will seek to find a workaround to continue blocking ads on Facebook, some plan to stop using Facebook, while others find it reasonable to see a few ads in exchange for using a free service.
Either way, this is happening. Facebook is blocking ad blockers and making ads inescapable, so there's that.
