News. Blocking ads – and thus also cookie-tracking – is much more common (and easy) on the computer than on mobile gadgets. A new report, The State of Mobile Adblocking, shows that 1 of 2 US smartphone users actually wish to block all ads, but many don’t know that they can.
Here are the main conclusions of the report from globalwebindex:
- 22% of current ad-blocker users are blocking ads on their smartphones. And more men than female.
- Only half of internet device ownersare even aware that they can block ads on their mobile. And if we look only at those who have not blocked ads on a mobile, more than 6 in 10 states that they did not know that it was possible to do so.
- Ad-frustration is the primary driver behind current ad-blocking uptake. Ad-blocker users are most likely to state that ads are intrusive, they are irrelevant, or that there are simply too many of them. 29% state that they are concerned about privacy.
- The need to download an additional browser in order to be able to block ads (particularly on Android devices) is slowing mobile ad-blocking adoption. Only 14% of smartphone owners say that they use an additional browser.
- Smartphone owners say they are most likely to choose their mobile browser because they knew the brand, and over 3 in 4 of those who are aware of the existence of mobile ad-blocking are unable to name an app or a browser which allows users to block ads on mobile.
- There remains little willingness or recognition on the part of many consumers to accept that ads – even if they are respectful – are at the core of free content online.
- 1 in 2 smartphone owners in the USA state that they would prefer to block all ads on their mobile device. However, it is still one fifth of smartphone owners who say they don’t mind seeing ads on their mobile if they are respectful, while a similar number say they are willing to donate money to support websites.
