Google is said to be mulling the roll out of an acceptable ads policy, with the search behemoth aiming to further tackle the growing issue of adblocking.
According to Digiday, sources have indicated that Google is investigating the move, and due to its scale and dominant position in the online ad market, doing so could see the business make a real impact when it comes to adblocking.
While it is unclear how this Google initiative would work, Digiday explained that a likely scenario is that Google would ensure that only ads that meet its standards can run on its own site and YouTube, and also through its DoubleClick ad exchange through which publishers sell their inventory.
Poor ad quality and slow load speeds have been blamed for the rise of adblocking, with industry bodies aiming to create a set of standards around ads created to try and tackle these pain points. However, industry bodies efforts aren't currently enforceable.
Publishers have also been attempting to tackle the adblocking issue by using a mix of blocking the blockers, but also explaining to users that the only way that certain online players can survive is through ad revenues.
Google is in a position that individual publishers are not however, with the tech giant being able to demand ads are of a certain standard if they are to be served across its properties. There is some concern amongst publishers however, with one senior exec telling Digiday that publishers don't want to see Google act on its own, it needs input from them to see what can work for all parties.
Adblocking is a massive problem for publishers globally, with numbers indicating that internet users using adblocking software has grown to 22% in the UK. With numbers showing that adblocking is costing the Australian ad industry $4 billion.
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