After criticizing the anti-ad blocker technology that Facebook rolled out to force advertisements on the desktop version of the social network, Adblock Plus now claims that it has found a workaround to keep users' News Feeds ad-free.
The workaround was announced by Adblock Plus in a blog post, as the company followed through with its promise of providing a solution to Facebook's attempt to render ad blockers useless.
According to the post, a new filter was added to the main EasyList of Adblock Plus that will fight back against the ad-supporting Facebook technology. Users of the ad-blocking software can simply update their filter lists to begin blocking ads on Facebook again.
To update the Adblock Plus filter list, users will have to go to the extensions menu of their internet browser and access Adblock Plus from there. Users can then choose to update their filters through the software's options.
Alternatively, users can also add the filter manually using the code Adblock Plus has provided in its blog post.
Adblock Plus also noted that the new filter, along with all the other filters used by the software, is the creation of a global community of users. It seems the people supporting Adblock Plus, this time around, were able to get the better of such a powerful company as Facebook.
Adblock Plus warned that Facebook could write up a new code in the near future that will make the new filter useless. The ad-blocking community will then once again try to find a workaround, with the process continuing as another form of the back-and-forth battle between the ad-blocking community and circumventers that has been in place ever since ad blockers were first developed.
Facebook, however, claims that the new filter is flawed, as Adblock Plus will end up not just removing ads but also regular posts uploaded on the social network.
"This isn't a good experience for people and we plan to address the issue," a spokesperson for Facebook said.
A source close to Facebook said that the plan against the workaround is coming as soon as today, so Adblock Plus users might not have much time to enjoy the new filter.
Facebook attempted to dismiss ad blockers on the social network by removing codes that explicitly identified ads, which made them appear more like regular posts. In exchange, Facebook updated the ad preferences tool for the social network that now allows users to customize their ad experience. Through the tools, users will prevent disruptive ads from cluttering their News Feed, while publishers and businesses will be able to support themselves from the ads they display.
Adblock Plus labeled the move as "anti-user," while noting the irony in the fact that Facebook acknowledged that users have good reasons to block ads but is looking to remove their capability to do so.
