Federal Communications Committee (FCC) is under the scanner as it is setting up its net neutrality laws and regulations. But, there will be at least one unhappy party at the end of it all. It might either be the ISP’s or the content owners. But amidst all this, many consumers are purchasing ad blocking software to make sure that they don’t let pop up ads disturb their viewing experience. There is a speculation that companies like Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), who are making a living out of these ads are paying to divert the ad blocking softwares. Former Digital Chief of New York Times, Martin Nisenholtz talked about this on Fox business.
Nisenholtz pointed out that almost 23% of consumers in US are using these ad blocking software to block the pop up and video ads. He feels that it is unfair on consumer to say that you can buy this software, but it cannot block the ads from companies like Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN).
The most famous ad blocking software is called Ad block Plus, owned by a German startup company. Statistics shows that this software was downloaded 300 million times and it has a Monthly Active User base of 50 million, which is quite staggering.
Nisenholtz said that it is unfair on publishers for asking them to share contents without ads, which is their main source of income. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) have declined to comment on if they are paying this startup to unblock their ads.
Question arises if the companies like Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) can just buy this Ad block Plus, since it is making a lot of business. But, Nisenholtz said that it is not feasible, since there are 200 other companies/software which does the same thing. How can the balance be achieved between consumers who don’t want ads and publishers who want ads to make money?
“I think the balance is to create great ads like super bowl, where people are happy to look at the ads, but that’s a pretty hard hurdle to meet,” Nisenholtz said.
Disclosure: None
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