Once Google updates Chrome to version 71, the world's most popular browser will begin blocking every abusive ad on a website that's filled with them.
Abusive ads, of course, come in many forms. Popups, ads that block an entire webpage, or links that automatically open a new window regardless where the user clicks are just some of the few examples of annoying ads. Anything that causes the browser to misbehave are categorized as abusive.
Google And Abusive Ads
The update is part of Google's longstanding fight against abusive ads on the internet. This past July, the company rolled out Chrome 58 to try and address this same problem. That version of Chrome came with a bunch of features that would prevent sites from opening new tabs or windows if they were reported for serving abusive experiences. Such measures, of course, have been insufficient to prevent misleading or dangerous ads, which is why Google is taking action.
As such, Chrome 71 will take those measurements even further. Google is releasing this version on December, and it's giving site owners a grace period of 30 days to clean up their site supposed they're reported for serving abusive ad experiences. Should they fail, Google will promptly block their ads. Chrome users can override Google's ad blocking in case they prefer it that way.
Google, The Internet, And Ads
The changes mentioned above should make millions of internet users pretty happy, and at the same time, it should definitely make a lot of publishers and site owners more wary about what kinds of ads they choose to show on their sites. If there's any company that site owners need to comply strictly with, it's Google. Not only is Chrome the most used browser in the world, but as we've mentioned, Google also controls a massive chunk of the overall advertising traffic on the internet. As such, the company has considerable latitude to shape how we use the web and what we see in it.
That kind of power is both reassuring and terrifying. Reassuring because Google is clearly using it to improve the web experience for everyone; terrifying because that kind of power, when in the wrong hands, could lead to catastrophic, ethics-breaking results. One can only hope Google doesn't get any further ideas about controlling the internet or perhaps even censoring what people see, which already occurs in some countries.
Thoughts about Chrome 71? As always, feel free to sound off in the comments section below if you have anything to share!
