It’s an interesting concept if it works, and we’re not sure we like it: A box that trims advertisements from online content.
‘The Atlantic’ magazine (www.theatlantic.com) has reported on a budding start-up with technology to block “every kind of ad that can be delivered over the internet”.
At US$120, it houses a Linux-based computer running software to identify and block advertisements as they enter your house or office. It sits between modem and router, filtering content before it travels to desktop, laptop or wifi-driven mobiles on the system.
And it’s bad news for two reasons:
• nothing is for nothing, and blocking genuine advertisements threatens one of the few revenue sources open to bona fide publishers; and
• puffs, PR and paid editorial would very likely escape the block… and as publishers have less money to spend on real journalism, we can expect more in these categories.
The “open and very hackable” device is also open to abuse.
‘The Atlantic’ reports that the three Palo Alto, California-based inventors of AdTrap already have a working prototype, and are looking for US$150,000 of pledges on crowd-funding site Kickstarter.
Some browsers already include ad blocking capability, but Christopher Mims and Gideon Lichfield of Quartz says the simplicity of the new device may make it a winner. AdTrap would also block user-tracking, but would be open to a ‘white list’ of sites which would not be blocked.
–Peter Coleman