Three UK

Network operator Three has confirmed it will begin blocking adverts on mobile websites and in apps from next month.

For a 24-hour period, at some point during the week of June 13 to 20, the firm said it will restrict ads at a network level. This means anyone who is part of the trial will not see advertisements as they browse the web or use apps on their devices.


It is believed to be the first time an operator has tested a complete blocking of ads across its network.

For the approach to work technically, Three – which has around nine million users in the UK – has partnered with Israeli company Shine. The partnership includes Three UK as well as the operator's Italian arm, which has signed a separate deal with the firm.

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However, the trial won't be turned on by default for everyone and people interested in the trial will need to sign up on Three's website. A spokesperson for Three said it was aiming for 20,000 people to be involved in the trial.

In February, Three announced its plans to trial the network-level ad blocking.


At the time, Three said it had decided to use "network-based ad blocking" as it is "more powerful and effective solution" than its customers individually downloading ad blockers.

Three has given a trio of reasons for wanting to experiment with the technology:

1. Customers shouldn't pay data charges to receive adverts; the cost should come from the advertiser.

2. To stop some advertising being able to "extract and exploit" customer information by using intrusive adverts.

3. Customers should receive relevant adverts and not "have their data experience in mobile degraded by excessive, intrusive, unwanted or irrelevant adverts.

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The trial, although there are no guarantees it will progress to a full scale roll-out, will cause concern for publishers that rely on mobile advertising revenues.

In January Randall Rothenberg, head of the Internet Advertising Bureau, said he "hates" those who are "ad-block profiteers".

In a speech at the organisation's annual meeting he said the ad blocking industry was "[run by] the rich and self-righteous, who want to tell everyone else what they can and cannot read and watch and hear – self-proclaimed libertarians whose liberty involves denying freedom to everyone else."


Three UK's chief managing officer Tom Malleschitz said the company wants to give its customers the power to control what they see.

"The current ad model is broken. It frustrates customers, eats up their data allowance and can jeopardise their privacy. Something needs to change," he said in a statement.

"We can only achieve change by working with all stakeholders in the advertising industry – customers, advertising networks and publishers – to create a new form of advertising that is better for all parties."