Responses to adblockers in online advertising
(R2020-83448)

AUTHORS

Gloria Aznar, CEU SAN PABLO; Ignacio Redondo, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

KEYWORDS

Anti-adblocker; Online; Adblocker

ABSTRACT

The web faces an increasing loss of ad impressions and decrease of advertising revenues due to the rise of adblockers. Adblockers prevent the display of online advertising. Online publishers react by using anti-adblock filters, they detect the adblocker and deny access to the web. Users have three choices: disable the adblocker, leave the website or try to bypass the anti-adblocker. The reactions are conditioned by four factors: (a) more favourable attitudes toward online ads foment the deactivation of the adblocker; (b) a longer experience with adblocker enables bypassing the anti-adblock; (c) a greater breadth of online activities stimulates bypassing the anti-adblocker; and (d) higher concerns about privacy discourage disabling the adblocker. Our findings suggest the importance of improving attitudes toward online advertising, reduce concerns about online privacy, and search for alternative ways to monetize the website visits by the growing group of anti-adblocker bypassers.