Google is reportedly jumping deeper into the ad blocking issue by exploring an acceptable ads policy, publisher and industry sources say.
Google, together with Facebook, controlled 64 percent of the digital ad market last year. With that clout, Google could have an outsized impact on the kinds of ad formats that become the industry standard.
Intrusive and slow-loading ads have been blamed for the rise in readers adopting ad blocking software. Google is heavily invested in keeping the web safe for advertising; the vast majority of Google’s business runs on advertising, and it reportedly pays large sums to make sure ads get around the ad blockers and appear on its sites.
There have been other initiatives around the industry to improve users’ experience. The IAB has come out with a set of standards called L.E.A.N. that’s designed to address the reasons people block ads. Publishers on an individual basis have been combating the issue by streamlining ads and asking readers to turn off their ad blockers or blocking them from accessing content outright. Ad blocking companies have so-called “acceptable ad” programs that let through ads they deem to be unobtrusive.
Complete article: Google said to be exploring an ‘acceptable’ ads policy
