We’re sure that you have on more than one occasion surfed the web on your phone, only to have invasive mobile ads takeover the website and redirect you, or popup a new window. Given that tab management on mobile isn’t as robust as your desktop, this can get very ,very annoying which is why some users have turned to mobile ad blockers.
There is some debate as to whether ad blockers are legal since you would be depriving the website one of its sources of income. However it looks like mobile ad management has gotten a new ally in an unlikely form, and this form is UK-based carrier EE. The carrier has recently started a debate and proposed the idea of giving users more control over mobile ads.
This could result in giving customers tools to allow them to block certain kinds of advertising on the phones, like when surfing or even blocking ads within apps. However according to the carrier’s CEO Olaf Swantee, this isn’t exactly ad blocker per se. “For EE, this is not about ad blocking, but about starting an important debate around customer choice, controls and the level of ads customers receive.”
Swantee notes that not all ads are bad, but when they are they can truly destroy one’s experience. “Not all ads are bad. When a business gets it right, it’s appreciated and sparks a connection. But when it’s intrusive or crass it can drive people crazy.” It’s an interesting move by the carrier although we have to wonder if this might become more commonplace in the future, but what say you? Is this a welcome move?
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