Google is bringing adblocking to Chrome, and will let publishers charge readers who use other adblockers

Google is launching an adblocker for its Chrome browser next year, according to multiplereports (and confirming rumors from the spring). It will allow publishers to charge readers who have other adblockers installed a set amount per pageview, the Financial Times reported:

[Google] is launching “funding choices” where publishers can set a price per page view for consumers using ad blockers to pay — or abandon their blockers and see the ads. Google will track how many pages people view and charge them through a new version of their Google Contributor service.

Google’s own Chrome-native adblocker is expected to be turned on by default on both mobile and desktop, according to The Wall Street Journal, and will filter out “unacceptable ads,” guided in part by guidelines released by the industry group Coalition for Better Ads (of which Google, alongside other advertising companies, is a member).

Google is the dominant player in digital advertising — accounting for 40.7 percent of digital ad revenues in the U.S., according to eMarketer forecasts. It eats up 78 percent of total revenues from search ads in the U.S., and continues to grow adoption of its AMP format.

Google hasn’t announced or confirmed its Chrome adblocker or micropayments-for-adblock-users plan — and considers it a “filter,” not a “blocker” — but it’s been briefing publishers and advertisers, according to the Journal, reportedly giving publishers a six-month heads up to prepare:

To help publishers prepare, Google will provide a self-service tool called “Ad Experience Reports,” which will alert them to offending ads on their sites and explain how to fix the issues. The tool will be provided before the Chrome ad blocker goes live, the people familiar with the plans say.

As described to publishers, Google’s feature will block all ads on sites that have a certain level of unacceptable ads. Publishers have been advised to ensure their sites are compliant if they want their ads to be displayed.

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