News - Ad blocking programs snubbed by Google Play Store

[HEXUS]

Google is stepping up its battle against people wanting to avoid its adverts.

Read more.

[fadeaway]

Then I will begin using a browser which allows me to block ads.

[3dcandy]

Really not a surprise though is it? They will still be available, just not sanctioned

[mark22]

It's cooked into the rom I use anyway.

[Vancha]

Having read the Reddit thread on this, I figure someone should mention that this applies only to Android phones. You should still switch away from Chrome on your desktop anyway, but not because of this.

[OilSheikh]

The amount of ads on websites is astronomical these days!

[Gitch28]

The amount of ads on websites is astronomical these days!

Rather than back in the good old days.

[addz17]

I dont buy 99.9% of the crap the show in them so why must i be forced to look at them? I think i'll be using a different browser that allows me to do/install what i please on my computer.
I will recommend Chrome for those that like pop-ups, spam and penis enlargement pills.

[Chadders87]

Ive already gone back to firefox, is it time to get a windows 8 phone too?

[AGTDenton]

As well as using Firefox with AdBlock I use a mixture of blocking the most common culprits in my Hosts file and on my Router. Within the router this handles all devices, and the hosts file covers all the browsers on my machine and is a handy place to maintain a list should the router need replacing, but as I'd be there forever and a day blocking all ad sites I mostly use AdBlock on Firefox for the rest. I'm sure Linux and Apple will have similar methods to the hosts file.

[DrClone]

I tried searching via google: "Adblock plus for android" and the first result were the Firefox and they offered a link to Google Play and...it had been removed...

[Biscuit]

I know this is for android (where i dont use it anyway) but I havent actually experience it stop working under chrome at all, even after the last attempt at blocking it. I think its fair game that it isnt listed under Google Play though. Google make their money by adds, i think you should have to jump through hoops to disable them, as long as they don't disable it from running at all at a deeper level, at which point i will start analyzing the mobile market...

[Meowdance]

Prepare for Chrome Plus Mega Action Team Advanced v12 GTi. Pay for your web browser, see no ads*.

*We mean see less ads. Maybe.

[crossy]

I dont buy 99.9% of the crap the show in them so why must i be forced to look at them? I think i'll be using a different browser that allows me to do/install what i please on my computer.
I will recommend Chrome for those that like pop-ups, spam and penis enlargement pills.

Erm, you can still get blockers for Chrome, Google's just making it more difficult to use them. Kind of understandable when you think how Google make their money.

And before folks start getting all high and mighty over Firefox (which, by the way, I use and like) remember that this too is partially supported by advertising revenue.

Okay there's IE, but that's pretty naff. (imho)

Maybe there's a market for a paid-for browser with baked in ad blocking capabilities.

Failing that, a chance for Amazon to start with a tailored blocker addon than squelches all adverts but theirs?

Remember also that some sites, (like Hexus!), rely on ad's to keep the site free of charge. So with that in mind I'll probably stick with Chrome as my main browser for the moment, and just "tune out" the ad's. Although there's been some of the popups on Hexus that have proved to be VERY annoying, jumping into existance and taking over the screen at the drop of a hat.

Ive already gone back to firefox, is it time to get a windows 8 phone too?

Probably. Although I'm using an Android phone and I don't tend to see many adverts - you only really get them in certain games (and other free apps) and when browsing the web.

[xodianbarr]

Okay there's IE, but that's pretty naff. (imho)

Lets dispell that myth. IE has its flaws (and plenty of them). But no one browser is perfect. They all have their flaws. I use IE, Chrome & Firefox, and tend to find that none of them work quite as well as they should, though i should point that only Chrome uses your data in questionable ways. Firefox for a while was actually pretty unusable, as was IE9 at its inception, but its generally a case of giving them a little time to 'iron out the mistakes' as it were. They all fail to deliver properly on CSS3 and that is an issue that is long overdue, but what with this proprietory litigation culture we're living, things arent likely to change very soon.

[crossy]

[Okay there's IE, but that's pretty naff. (imho)] Lets dispell that myth. IE has its flaws (and plenty of them). But no one browser is perfect. They all have their flaws. I use IE, Chrome & Firefox, and tend to find that none of them work quite as well as they should, though i should point that only Chrome uses your data in questionable ways.

Notice I did say "imho" - and while I agree that "no browser is perfect" (heck, no piece of software IS) in my experience IE is more imperfect than the competition. Crowning glory was this week when the company supplied IE install failed to render (at all!) an intranet site that I needed to use. For an experiment, I risked the righteous wrath (<grin>) of the IT department and tried Firefox and Chrome - and BOTH of these worked flawlessly.

I guess it comes down firmly to which flaws and foibles you can live with. IE's Windows only, not exactly fast, and acts plain weird; Firefox is big, but at least allows a lot of customisation; Chrome is fast but, as you say, does all kinds of underhand things with your data; Opera has some good feature, but can be quirky; Dolphin is mobile only; etc, etc.

I personally need that cross platform ability, so Chrome and Firefox are my two weapons of choice.