What are "Acceptable Ads"?

GLOSSARY Everyone is talking about ad blockers these days. And there’s a lot of talk about «Acceptable Ads.» What exactly does that mean?An ad blocker is computer software that hides advertising - in most cases on websites, but possibly also within apps in the future. The best-known and currently most controversial ad blocker in Germany is Adblock Plus, which launched the "Acceptable Ads" initiative back in 2011. It enables the activation of advertisers and publishers who adhere to the criteria accepted by Adblock users. Users can use this intermediary variant of ad blocking if they leave the Acceptable Ads option switched on. To surf completely ad-free, users can also deactivate the option at any time. This "whitelist" from Adblock Plus has been criticized, as inclusion on the list is often associated with payments, especially for larger companies. Critics therefore speak of a modern "protection racket" to reach users despite adblockers.The exact criteria for when online advertising is classified as an "Acceptable Ad" are as follows here.