Mozilla has taken to a blog post to lay down the three guiding principles that it will follow when it comes to ad blocking.
The news follows Apple having opened up the possibility for developers to upload ad-blocking software to the iTunes App Store for iOS 9, causing many to be concerned about the future of online publishing.
The first principle is content neutrality. What this means is that content should not be blocked just because it's an ad, but should be instead blocked based on the user's needs, like performance issues. Put simply, if an ad isn't breaking any regulation or compromising the user's privacy or security, it shouldn't be blocked.
The second principle, called transparency and control, essentially means that users should be able to whitelist or control certain parts of a website as they see fit.
Last but not least is openness, which means that providers like advertising companies and website owners should be able to interact with ad-blocking companies. What this means is that if certain content is blocked for a particular reason, there should be a way for an advertiser to make it up to the ad-blocking company.
According to Mozilla, these guidelines are just a first draft, and it wants users to participate in the discussion. Mozilla itself will be watching the hashtag #contentblocking to see what people have to say.
Via: PCWorld
Photo: Mozilla in Europe | Flickr
