Lost and Found: YouGov Survey Finds Large Ecosystem of Consumers Who Use Ad Blockers But Allow Certain Ads

eyeo commissioned YouGov to run a survey; finds users understand that ad filtering keeps free content available on the internet

COLOGNE, Germany & SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–eyeo, makers of Adblock Plus, Flattr and Trusted News, announced today the results of a US Ad Blocking Usage Report survey conducted by YouGov that finds a forgotten ecosystem of ad block users exists who actually view specific ads they feel are acceptable. This large segment of consumers (officially described as those that filter ads vs. blocking all ads), previously considered by publishers to be lost to ad blockers, can be reached after all, according to survey findings.

The survey of over 2,500 US consumers was sponsored by eyeo to provide an unbiased analysis of consumer attitudes toward online advertisements and feelings of responsibility around watching ads that help fund publishers and websites because they are in turn able to view free content.*

“The distinction between total ad blocking and ad filtering (allowing certain, acceptable ads through) is very real according to this survey in the US,” said Ben Williams, director of advocacy at eyeo. “While ad-blocking began as an all-or-nothing proposition – either you block everything, or you don’t use an ad blocker – ad-filtering, whether accomplished through an ad blocker or even directly through the browser, is growing in popularity.”

The survey demonstrates that this new ad filtering ecosystem segment is attainable so long as advertisers and publishers address them with user-consented ads. In addition, the survey found that circumvention and other techniques used to trick this audience do not work.

“It used to be all about blocking ads and telling advertisers how nasty those pop-up and annoying ads are, but the savvy ad-blocking user base is now very aware of the balance between ad filtering and allowing publishers to make a living from ads that have, for the most part, improved by leaps and bounds in the past 3-4 years,” said Williams. “Now, it’s all about finding a sustainable internet for everyone.”

For access to the report, please visit http://2019usadblockreport.com.

About eyeo

eyeo is the developer of a suite of products that includes Flattr, Adblock Browser and Adblock Plus, an open source project that aims to rid the Internet of annoying and intrusive online advertising. Its free web browser extensions (add-ons) put users in control by letting them block or filter which ads they want to see. Users across the world have downloaded Adblock Plus over a billion times, and it has remained the most downloaded and the most used extension almost continuously since November 2006. PC Magazine named the extension as one of the best free Google Chrome extensions, and it received About.com readers’ choice award for best privacy/security add-on.

Adblock Plus is a free browser add-on for Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Maxthon and Opera for desktop users, and offers a free browser for mobile users on iOS and Android.

eyeo’s mission is to put users in control of a fair, profitable web.

Follow us at @AdBlockPlus

Read our blog at adblockplus.org/blog

For more information, please visit eyeo.com/en/press

*Notes

Total sample size was 2,568 adults in the US, of which 1,382 were registered as having an ad blocker installed on their digital devices. Fieldwork was undertaken in April 2019. The survey was carried out online.

Contacts

Rich Mullikin, APR

Rocket Science PR

Tel: +1 415 464 8110 x216

Mobile: +1 925 354 7444

rich@rocketscience.com