Google, along with 16 other companies with specific interest in the online ad market, has formed an ad coalition with the goal of regulating Internet advertising. The Coalition was formed in response to ad blocking interfaces such as AdBlock Plus and Brave, that provide browser plug-ins to block ads from being seen as users surf the internet.
As of late, the ad-blocking plug-ins have become “ad-picking”, allowing selective ads through to the browser sessions; charging a hefty amount to advertisers. Due to cost, only big budgets have been able to take advantage of this isolated marketing space. In addition, the ad selection process is compromising the user experience.
So, why is this important? The coalition will soon announce global standards in place for online advertising and will score proposed ads based on how quick a page loads, creativity and the number of tracking pixels. The criteria are created with consumers in mind. The beta-release of this scoring system is expected to be available for testing the fourth quarter of this year.
We’d love to know how you feel about the coalition and regulation. On the one hand, regulation is necessary for an online ad industry that, in 2015, saw more than $180 billion spent in the US market (www.statista.com). On the other hand, the coalition has not yet included any consumer advocacy groups and I worry may be in response to the tremendous growth in ad blocking, which inherently affects the bottom lines for many of the companies involved in the coalition.
To read more check out the article on Business Insider.