As ad blocker adoption continues to swell, publishers are evolving their strategies in order to cope. The next innovation for fighting ad blocking? Ransomware.
That’s right! Since appealing to consumers’ goodwill and sense of economics has only exacerbated the issue, publishers are taking a new step that should prove to be a formidable one by setting up technology that can detect whether a connected device is ad blocker enabled. The publisher then initiates a sequence of advanced malware packets called crypto-retro-block extortion, which encrypts the victims device rendering it useless until demands to accept ads have been met. “Admittedly, the technology is rather heavy handed, but in our assessment reasonable and appropriate”, said AdBliss ad network analyst Sandip Shitzaiya. Clearly the supply side is sending a strong signal that they are taking matters into their own hands. “Stronger steps have become necessary to stamp out ad blocking as low levels of direct confrontation have been unsuccessful. Consumers are being totally unfair and have brought this upon themselves”, Shitzaiya added.
In the past, ad blocking users that were faced with barriers such as ad block walls, which requested permission to have a site whitelisted, were largely ineffective as consumers would simply go elsewhere. Not anymore. Instead of pleading with consumers to stop the use of ad blocking, the new shift in strategy has prevented consumer choice all together. Shitzaiya put it this way – “Now we pretty much have them by the throat.”
There’s little data on the new initiatives effectiveness, but research suggests user reception has been lukewarm at best. For example 88% of ad blocking users in the US, UK and Australia surveyed by AdBlock Plus said they would have no problem forever ditching the publisher, the advertiser and their service provider.
