A new worldwide report into ad-blocking has found that 615 million devices globally are blocking ads on the web.
To put that in context, that figure represents over one in ten people online, and is also up 30 per cent in 12 months.
The state of the blocked web survey, by Adblock, presents a combined picture of desktop and mobile adblock usage for the first time, and found that ad-blocking on mobile is exploding, particularly in Asia.
Key stats to be aware of:
- 615 million devices now use adblock
- 11% of the global internet population is blocking ads on the web
- Adblock usage grew 30% globally in 2016
- Mobile adblock usage grew by 108 million to reach 380 million devices
- Desktop adblock usage grew by 34 million to reach 236 million devices
- 74% of American adblock users say they leave sites with adblock walls
- Adblock usage is now mainstream across all ages
Certainly privacy is one of the key drivers fuelling this phenomenon, as people tire of intrusive ads tracking them around the web, although the ads’ impact on page loading speed as well as bloated pages eating through data allowances are also significant factors.
So what does the ad-blocking surge mean for the privacy landscape?
Well, the numbers involved are obviously significant, which means we have a rapidly-growing online population that will modify online behaviour to avoid things that worry or irritate. And they’re doing it at scale, and across all devices, with the mobile ad-blocking increase predicted to hit North America and Europe next.
Also control is key – while this is not a revolt against digital advertising per se, rather the methods it employs, the internet population is increasingly showing it won’t be forced to watch or download things it doesn’t want to, because there is now another way.
With awareness around personal data issues also growing exponentially, this is heartening news – because the old ways are being disrupted in this industry, too, and technology such as digi.me is innovating in a way which again will benefit the consumer with minimal hassle to implement.
So all hail the ad-blocking army – user control and willingness to use a tech solution that shows a better way is good news for everyone driving the Personal Data Economy forward to a person-centred Internet of Me.