Latest Internet Advertising Bureau figures show 22% of web users over 18 years old use software to strip ads from digital content

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

More than 9 million British web users say they now block ads, more than a fifth of all those over 18 years old who use the internet.

The Internet Advertising Bureau’s latest snapshot of adblocking shows that 22% of British web users over 18 years old are currently using software to strip ads from digital content, up from the 18% who said they did so in October.



This equates to about 9.2 million of the 41.8 million UK adults who regularly use the internet.

The first IAB report into adblocking published in June last year showed that just 15% of UK web users were blocking ads, highlighting the creeping threat of the software to the £3bn-plus UK digital display market.



Unsurprisingly, the highest level of adblocking is among the 18- to 24-year-old age group, at 47%, with 45- to 54-year-olds the least likely to block ads, at just 16%.

“It’s unsurprising to see ad blocking on the rise, as the digital advertising industry as a whole has been failing to keep in mind that it’s a value exchange,” said Mike Colling, founder of media agency MC&C. “Advertising in exchange for content. Except content is everywhere and so less valuable to consumers – meaning the volume and nature of advertising must adjust.”

Colling said that a new “modern digital etiquette” is needed to balance monetising media and irritating consumers.



“The rise of adblocking indicates that we’re a way off of finding this,” said Colling.



The IAB, naturally a champion of the ad-funded internet, says that there has been pushback from web publishers.

Nearly two thirds (64%) of those who have downloaded adblocking software said they had received a notice from a website asking them to turn the software off.

Over half of the survey respondents said that they in certain situations, such as if the website in question was the only way to access specific content, would switch off the adblocking software.

The report also highlights the buzz and publicity surrounding adblocking software.

One fifth of those who have downloaded an adblocker say they no longer use it.

The most common reason given was that they changed to a new device, where they didn’t then download a blocker. Not being able to access content they want was the second most common reason.

“Part of the solution to tackle adblocking lies in making consumers more aware of the consequences, which seems like it’s starting to filter through,” said Guy Phillipson, chief executive of IAB UK. “If they realise it means they can’t access content or that to do so requires paying for it, then they might stop using adblockers. It requires reinforcing this trade-off message – ads help to fund the content they enjoy for free.”

Among those currently using adblocking software almost three quarters (72%) do so on laptops, with 26% on smartphones, 21% on tablets and 41% on desktop PCs.