What is an Ad Blocker and How Do They Work?

What is an ad blocker and how do ad blockers work?

An ad blocker is a software solution, usually in the form of a browser extension, that prevents advertising material from appearing on websites you visit. And how to ad blockers work? Well, they work in two ways...

The first happens while the website is loading when the ad blocker scans the domain names of all the components loading on a page. It checks them against a blacklist and if anything is flagged as advertising material, the ad blocker will disable the request. As a result that particular component stops loading.

The second part of the answer to “how do ad blockers work?” is once the page has loaded. It looks for elements on the page that could be adverts, i.e. elements that meet certain rules such as images in commonly used banner dimensions. If it does, it hides them.

Why do people use ad blockers?

Ads are annoying distractions that interrupt and slow down your browsing experience and drain your battery life. They also present a security risk and threaten your privacy. Let's take a look at the reasons for using an ad blocker in a little more detail.

Ads are distracting

Ads are generally made to be eye-catching so when you're trying to read an article but have advertising banners left, right, and center, top of the page, and bottom of the page. They come in all shapes and sizes, moving images, audio, and autoplay. And that's before we even get to the worst of the lot, the pop-up ads. Even though pop-up ads irritate the hell out of 73% of web users, websites still insist on using them.

They interrupt primary activities

We've all been there...you're watching a video on YouTube, maybe trying to learn how to do some DIY, when yet another advert cuts in and interrupts your viewing. For some ads, you wait for a few seconds and then you can press “skip” and get back to the video. But, the others, the “unskippable” ads force you to wait and watch the entire thing.

The number of these types of ads is getting out of control, with YouTube showing up to 10 unskippable ads per “advertising break”. No one goes to YouTube to watch the adverts!

Slow performance & battery drain

Ads, whether it's videos or banner images, with all their trackers can slow down website loading times by 52%. The website browser, Opera conducted the study using its own in-built speed test tool to see how long a page took to load without an ad blocker and compared it to the time it took to load with an ad blocker.

With an ad blocker, the page loaded in just 8 seconds compared to the 17 seconds without an ad blocker. Opera also found that on average, ads waste up to 15 hours of device battery life.

Image source: Opera (screenshot)

A threat to privacy

We've all witnessed it...we visit an online store, don't buy anything, move on to to check our social media feed, and lo and behold, there is an advertisement for the store we just visited. Websites use trackers to monitor and catalog your online behavior and browsing habits and share everything they know about you with third parties such as advertising networks. All so they can target you with personalized adverts.

Security concern

If all of this wasn't bad enough, ads can also be hiding something sinister. Cybercriminals often pay for or hack into display advertising campaigns in order to spread malware and viruses. The practice is known as malicious advertising or “malvertising”. It's a particularly sneaky attack vector as it requires little or no interaction from the unsuspecting user. Sometimes, you won't even have to click on the ad for it to infect your system.

What are ad blockers' pros and cons?

Using an ad blocker comes with benefits for anyone sick of the constant barrage of ads and tracking. However, they do also have a number of drawbacks affecting your web experience that need to be considered. Let's look at the pros and cons of using an ad blocker so you can decide whether it's the right thing for you.

Pros of ad blockers

Improved user experience: Installing an ad blocker can eliminate distractions and reduce the number of interruptions while you browse, watch video content, or play online games.

Better security and privacy: The majority of ad blockers are designed to detect, spot, and block malicious ads, eliminating the risk of being infected by malware or some other virus. They also disable web trackers which improves your online privacy.

Faster loading times: With ads blocked, websites and apps are free from the added baggage and can load and perform much faster. This is also a good thing for websites, as a more streamlined experience for users means a lower bounce rate. Fewer people are likely to get fed up waiting for the page to load, and instead, stick around and enjoy the site.

Optimized battery life: Taking ads out of the equation means faster loading times. This in turn means your devices don't have to work so hard. It's better for your battery life and also mobile data usage.

Less likely to impulse buy: If you're of a persuadable nature ads can lead you to spend money you don't have on things you don't need. By blocking ads, you could potentially save money as well as reduce the risk of being targeted by fraudulent companies.

Support the creators you're interested in: It doesn't have to be a blanket block for all ads. Most ad blockers will allow you to create an ad whitelist for certain websites, services, or applications that you actually do want to see. The good thing about this is that you're in control, and it's not just creepy trackers deciding for you. It also means that you can continue to support the publishers and pages that matter to you.

Cons of ad blockers

Broken or inaccessible content: Ad blockers work by disabling certain content but there are times when it will block non-ad elements which can result in broken content and an impaired web experience. Some websites will also be using ad block walls that can prevent visitors using ad blockers from accessing the page.

Doesn't block all ads: Ad blockers will block the majority of adverts but it's not a 100% block. They filter using blacklists of sites, there are a lot of websites out there! There will be some websites that are left off the list. Some ad blockers also have a list of “acceptable ads”, which they deem non-intrusive. Other websites, such as Facebook, Youtube, and Twitch, actively work to bypass ad blockers.

Limits support for content creators: Unfortunately, some of the content you might like on the internet is only possible through ad revenue. If that's the case, and you block their ads, then you're also damaging their means to make more of the content that you enjoy.

Not a privacy tool: Ad blockers might stop a website's ad trackers from recording your online behavior but they could be doing the exact same thing. Some adblockers will sell your browsing info to third parties. So, every page you visit will still be tracked.

How do ad blockers work to provide a better web experience?

Ad blockers aren't perfect and won't give an absolute ad-free browsing experience, but they will certainly reduce the number of ads you see. That said, ad blockers may end up causing other issues by breaking on-page content or making whole sites inaccessible. Of course, you can turn off the ad blocker for particular sites. It can be a bit of a faff.

They can give you a little extra security when it comes to avoiding malvertising but the privacy aspect is very dubious. If privacy is a big concern for you then don�����t rely solely on an ad blocker!

Use an ad blocker with a dedicated privacy app or a privacy app that has an ad blocker built-in (like Hoody for example). This will mean you won't have to download and install yet another app or extension.

As always, check any app you install for their privacy policy and only adopt those that don't log user data or sell it to third parties.

Remember, your business is your business.

If you're looking to block ads but privacy is a huge deal, try Hoody. Sign up for the Hoody FREE TRIAL!