Annoying banner ads, auto-playing videos, and newsletter pop-ups are great sources of distraction and displeasure. Not only are these distracting, but also they are trackers. Ad trackers follow your browsing behavior and collect information like interest, location, and also data about your device. Then, the information is collected to show you targeted ads.
However, between these aggressive ad trackers and pop-ups, it may feel that browsing the Internet is beyond your control. Thankfully, you can take back control by using a reliable ad blocker.
What Are Ad Blockers?
Ad blockers are essential software intended to eliminate irritating, dangerous, and redundant advertisements from appearing on the web browser when browsing the Internet.
Ad blockers are designed to block different forms of ads, including video ads, banner ads, pop-ups, and social media ads. These ad blockers scan thousands of websites for intrusive ads and identify them. Then, the ads are blocked even before the user enters the website.
One such ad blocker that has gained immense popularity among users is uBlock Origin. This ad blocker is famously known for its effectiveness and for being a lightweight ad blocker. It does not consume too many system resources to function. The ad blocker’s blocking algorithm has pre-set filters that help it to identify and block ads quickly. The ad blocker even lets users add their custom filters and whitelist websites from which they want to see ads. This ad blocker is available for Chrome and Firefox. It also used to be compatible with Safari, but not since Safari 13. Therefore, there’s no uBlock Origin for Safari, and Safari users must check out the alternatives, such as AdLock, AdBlock Plus, Ghostery, and AdGuard.
How Do Ad Blockers Boost The Browsing Experience?
- They block all distractions and increase focus
Pop-up ads come in all sizes and shapes. Some examples are newsletter pop-ups, banner ads, cookie notifications, and autoplay videos following you around. Ad blockers can hide and block all annoying ads and pop-ups so you can enjoy a distraction-free browsing experience.
As soon as ads and pop-ups are blocked, the page loading time increases. This is because ads include pictures and text, which takes longer to load. Therefore, if you are irritated with slow-loading web pages, installing an ad blocker might do the trick to speed it up.
Also, you can focus better on what you are searching on the Internet and not get distracted by ads showing discount deals on fashion or other tempting ads.
- They Protect The Privacy And Security Of Web Users
Nowadays, protecting your privacy and security online is one of the biggest challenges. Most websites employ online ad tracking and targeted advertising. This is done to show users ads targeted toward them and customized according to their interests. The trackers help advertisers gain insights into the preferences, behavior, and personal information of the web user. Although these ad trackers are not always malicious, cyber attackers are getting more sophisticated and using malvertising to target web users.
Malvertising is a tactic where cyber attackers target web users by hiding malware and scams in ads on trusted websites. Therefore, if you fall for a malvertisement, your personal information and privacy are at risk. Ad blockers identify and block such malvertisements so users don’t fall victim to potential cyber attacks.
- They Help Customize The Browsing Experience
Ads are not the only website element you would want to ignore. You might prefer to avoid seeing some parts of a website, such as the stories recommended by the news website you visit.
It is possible to use ad blockers to block specific parts of websites you prefer not to see. This helps to personalize the Internet browsing experience and gives you control over what you see or don’t.
- They Protect Children
Children are extremely tech-savvy these days and might be browsing the web for entertainment more than their adult counterparts. As such, it is every parent’s responsibility to install ad blockers so their children are kept away from adult-rated and harmful content on the web.
There are some ad blockers that are designed to help parents and guardians manually block specific websites containing adult content.
Since cyber attackers target kids because of their naivety, parents can sleep better knowing their children will not accidentally click on a malware ad while playing a game if an ad blocker is installed and turned on.
The Bottom Line
Ad blockers are your simple answer to staying safe online and enjoying a seamless browsing experience. Since cybercrime is rising exponentially, ad blockers are becoming an indispensable part of web browsing. Besides blocking ads and pop-ups, ad blockers protect users from cyber criminals and malware.
Which ad blocker do you use? How has it improved your browsing experience? Share your thoughts in the comment section.