Three ignores EU call with new ad-blocking roll-out

mobileMobile network operator Three has dismissed new EU guidance that its ad-blocking service is potentially illegal by planning an even larger roll out of the scheme on its network in 2017.
In May, the mobile operator first revealed it would block mobile ads for customers for a whole day in June. The firm claims its users should not be forced to use mobile data to display ads which are irrelevant to them and often invade their privacy.
Chief marketing officer Tom Malleschitz said of the new plan: “This is the next step in our journey to make mobile ads better for our customers. The current ad model is broken. It frustrates customers, eats up their data allowance and can jeopardise their privacy. Something needs to change.”
Last month, the EU’s Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications released new net neutrality guidance that forbids network providers from interfering with any of the Internet services or apps used by their customers.
It reads: “Providers of internet access services… shall not block, slow down, alter, restrict, interfere with, degrade or discriminate specific content applications or services.”
Although the guidance was written with national regulators in mind as opposed to network providers, the final say will go to telecom regulator Ofcom to judge how Berec should be interpreted and and enforced within the UK.
The regulator is waiting to see how Three’s plan and those of other network providers may result in a breach of the Berec Guidance.

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