Adblock Plus launches its own ad sales platform

ad block smallAdblock Plus has performed a classic “poacher turned gamekeeper” manouvre by launching a new service which allows it to sell ads to website owners – but only ones which it deems acceptable.
Launching in beta, the Acceptable Ads Platform allows online publishers to pick from a list of so-called “acceptable” ads and place them on their pages. When a vistor who has installed Adblock Plus comes to the page, they will be shown only those ads, instead of the ads the site would normally run.
“It allows you to treat the two different ecosystems completely differently and monetise each one,” claimed Ben Williams, Adblock Plus’ operations and communications director. “And, crucially, monetise the ad blockers on on their own terms.”
The scheme is a extension of the Acceptable Ads program that Adblock Plus has been running since 2011. Since then, the ad blocker has defaulted to “whitelisting” approved ads, so that they show up even when users have the blocker turned on.
Publishers will receive 80% of all ad revenue from marketplace ads, with the remaining 20% being divided between other parties involved with serving the ads. Adblock Plus will receive 6% of total revenue.
Last year, Adblock Plus owner Eyeo GmbH was accused of cosying up to the likes of Google, Microsoft and Amazon to allow their ads to go through its filters, in exchange for wads of cash.
According to a report in the Financial Times, the firm charges large companies huge amounts of money to get their ads unblocked, despite other businesses being forced to comply with AdBlock’s “acceptable ads” policy to get them approved.

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