Samsung is again following the lead of Apple, this time in building ad-blocking capabilities into its mobile browser.
Samsung Internet will let users install helper apps that block ads and other content from websites they visit, much like Safari in iOS 9.
Adblock Fast and Crystal have already jumped on board with their own plugins to speed up Samsung’s browser.
While such ad blocking raised a major furor during the launch of iOS 9, such applications quickly fell from the top ranks of the App Store. So we’re unlikely to see a catastrophic revenue crash for publishers. However, there’s an ongoing discussion among publishing and advertising companies about how such ads can be less oppressive and whether or not to aggressively withhold content from those with a blocker installed.
Why this matters: Just as was the case with Safari, ad blocking isn’t great news for Google. Since the bulk of Google’s revenue still comes from its AdWords program, you’re unlikely to ever see any type of ad blocker come out from Chrome, the most popular browser on Android. But millions of users tend to just use the preinstalled apps on their phones, which leaves lots of potential customers for those in the ad-blocking business.
[“source -cncb”]
