Google Reportedly Working on a Built-in Ad Blocker For Chrome Browser

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According to a new report by The Wall Street Journal, Google is working on a built-in ad blocker solution for desktop and mobile versions of its Chrome web browser. The ad blocker will be turned on by default and will block out those specific types of ads which are responsible for ruining the browsing experience, the report says.

Not all ads will be blocked, though: Google’s own ads will still be displayed. The ad blocker will reportedly filter out pop-up ads, countdown timers, auto-playing audio and video ads and other objectional ad experiences which are defined to be unacceptable as per the standards of Coalition for Better Ads. According to the report, Google will require site owners to follow a specific set of standards to ensure their ads doesn’t get block by the Chrome’s built-in ad blocker. In short, say bye to those annoying, buzzing adds taking over your phone for a few seconds.

The move is said to be an attempt to combat the annoying ads and bad advertising practices. By implementing a native ad blocker, Google is also seeking to lower down the increasing usage of ad blockers.

A built-in ad blocker will make far more sense for the mobile version of Chrome than its desktop counterpart. On the desktop version, you can install a third-party ad blocker to effectively block all ads, but there is presently no such way to do so on Chrome for mobile, not without modifications most people don’t have access to at least.

The WSJ says the feature is currently being developed, and Google could announce the new feature “within weeks.” At the same time, the report also notes that such feature may never come to fruition and that Google could decide to scrap the plan altogether, just like it has done with many other projects in the past.

Either way, a built-in ad blocker in Chrome sounds like a great idea and even if doesn’t help get rid of all the ads, it can, at least, improve the browsing experience to a great extent for end users by blocking out only the nasty ones. By making this a default feature, ad companies would be compelled to weed out bad ads and actors. It’s also a smart move for Google, as it’d mean the ad-creator controls the ad-blocker… for better or worse.

What do you think of this kind of ad-blocking strategy? Is it a genius idea, or is it bound to fail? Sound off in the comments below!