"Coalition for Better Ads": Google Chrome turns off the juice to annoying ads

MK: Michael Todd, on February 15, the stricter advertising guidelines from the «Coalition for Better Ads» will take effect in Google’s Chrome browser. How did this come about?

Todd: The digital industry first began to seriously address the issue of ad blockers in 2015. At that time, many stakeholders suddenly realized that because of sporadic, but because of highly intrusive ads, more and more users are installing ad blockers that all Blocking online ads. This was alarming for advertisers and publishers—their businesses were at stake.

From the very beginning, we as a company were convinced that ad blockers are merely a symptom and that the real problem lies with intrusive ads. These ads detract from the user experience and are, in fact, the very reason why people install ad blockers in the first place. In response to these developments, we joined forces with other stakeholders in our industry and launched the «Coalition for Better Ads.».

MK: Who is part of this coalition? And what standards does it intend to establish?

Todd: Large companies and publishing houses, as well as the IAB and its numerous national associations, are part of the «Coalition for Better Ads.» A list of members can be found online review. The standards to be established are aimed at ads that were described in a detailed user evaluation as particularly disruptive to users: pop-up ads, for example, or videos that activate on their own and automatically play sound. Here, too, a detailed overview online available. The coalition intends to take action against them—they are clearly in the minority, but they are harming the entire industry.

MK: And has Google, as a member of the «Coalition for Better Ads,» now decided to strictly enforce these standards for the Chrome browser?

Todd:  We already announced this last summer. All publishers who display ads on their websites  Those who had placed ads that violated the standards were able to identify and correct the issue using the freely available «Ad Experience Report.».

Half a year ago, we announced what we would be doing on February 15, 2018—and many of the publishers affected have our  The announcement was taken seriously and implemented. For those who have not yet done so, Chrome will block the ads with thirty days' notice.

MK: How exactly should we picture this in terms of user experience? When using Chrome, will users notice that something is different—for example, through white spaces within web pages? Or are only ads affected—the ones that would «pop up» but can no longer do so?

Todd: First, I’d like to reiterate that we operate within an industry standard: The «Coalition for Better Ads» includes leaders from our industry who have reached a strong consensus. And together with them, we’ve considered exactly what we’ll do if a publisher sI am not following the guidelines, despite our announcement.

We have made a decision regarding Chrome: Starting February 15, 2018—with a 30-day grace period—we will block not only ads that violate the coalition’s standards, but also all Ads on the relevant page. Once you, as a publisher, are certain that you have resolved the issues, you can contact us. Once everything has been resolved, we will reactivate the ads on the website.

MK: What happens if a publisher currently meets all the standards—but in a few months starts running ads that the «Coalition for Better Ads» does not approve of? Will that publisher then be exempt from the February campaign?

Todd: No, because we conduct regular screenings. If we discover problematic ads in the future, we will again give publishers thirty days before we ultimately block them.

MK: What would you say to publishers who talk about censorship in this context? After all, there are certainly those who say, «If users don’t like the type of ads on a site, they shouldn’t visit it.» Is it really necessary for Google to  Did you intervene from a technological standpoint?

Todd: We do not take any measures intended to censor anyone. That is not the point at all. The goal is to maintain a free and enjoyable Internet for all users—and we want browsing with Chrome to be as seamless as possible. A single negative ad experience can ruin that. And if users decide to install an ad blocker because of one «black sheep,» then the entire advertising industry suffers as a result of the behavior of a few publishers. That cannot be allowed to happen.

By the way, we’re also doing away with negative advertising on pages associated with Google in any way going forward. That means we’re prepared to accept a short-term loss of certain revenue streams. But that’s less important to us. We’re convinced that the steps we’re taking are hugely important for the user experience on the web—and thus for the future of the Internet.

*The interview with Michael Todd was conducted in English. The author translated the questions and answers afterward.