Learn how to block ads while browsing for information

More and more users want to know how to block ads while browsing online for information. No one is happy when ads cover the content, right? Moreover, for more tech savvy users, ads are a source of potential threats regarding their personal data.

But how can anyone stop ads and their trackers, safely and for good? In this article we offer you all the information that you need, in order to live an online ad-free life.

Why do we want to block ads?

Content-based ads are obvious. They are ad banners visible on the website’s content. Please note that it’s very likely these ads collect oour data.

For example, if we see a banner with the search terms “food delivery,” this means that the ad wants us to search for something on the restaurant’s site. Food delivery ads can additionally offer us products to order.

However, for purposes of data protection transparency, we must be sure that a content-based ad doesn’t collect any sensitive information. The context from which the data will be sent doesn’t give us the opportunity to decide whether it will be stored.

So, marketers might be able to connect us to hundreds upon hundreds of users, seeing our ad just once. Content-based ads collect data to serve relevant ads for users, based on their previous behaviour.

A content-based ad can be a banner, a link, or a pop-up ad. For instance, we might see a paid ad for Amazon, that appears in our search results. Or, maybe a banner ad for rental services. All of these are targeted based on data collected through cookies.

Our browsers recognise the cookies are set to our account on a regular basis. So, they might collect data, even in the absence of a specific interaction.

Basically, developers “connect” their domain via an ad network. This is a place where advertisers set up software “agents” for tracking users’ activities. All this information is passed to ad networks which then help publishers target audiences with ads.

But advertisers can leverage the data gathered through cookies to match users with different content. For instance, if you visit a website, you may be “contacted” by an advertiser aiming to provide you many products. It happens because they have seen you used the website before.

How can ads harm our online life?

First things first: about human nature. Avoiding advertising is a behavior designed to protect us against the negative effects of being exploited or abused.

Advertising can be predatory and intrusive. But behavioural advertising encourages users to act and proves that a product or service they’re interested in actually exists. Also, it tries to show that it is beneficial for us. Moreover, it works well in situations where the demand matches the supply.

Unfortunately, behavioural advertising entails a significant risk of fraud and abuse. Therefore, it is our right to not be exploited psychologically, economically or emotionally. So, it is natural that we want to avert behavioral advertising.

Behavioral advertising is no longer a pleasant experience because of finding a few ads walking us through the websites we visit. So, the more we have access to tools to disable collection of data via online tools, the safer user experience it is.

Here comes the need for an ad blocker. There are many tools that block hundreds of millions of advertisement the same way. And one of the most prominent features of these tools is the detection of ad trackers by blocking their requests. Thus, an ad-blocker helps us prevent ads showing on Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter, on video platforms etc.

And it’s worth, as the dark side of the advertising landscape emerges and has a major negative impact. It shifts us from the quest for a better online experience to a perceived decrease in the use of a website. Also it makes us desire a dedicated tool.

You have the power to live an online ad-free life

More and more users want to know how to block ads while browsing online for information. And ad blocking is a simple option, altering the browser settings to refuse any targeted ads.

Keep in mind that, although not all ads are created to track users, they do so with surprising effectiveness.

So, take this personally and install Ad Guardian Plus to benefit from an online free-ad world. Moreover, you protect your personal information and increase your browser’s speed!