Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Reportedly Pay Adblock Plus to Ignore Ads

[[Coi] Mr.CLuBBeR]

Secret deals come to light

You're not supposed to know it, but Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Taboola have been paying the developers of Adblock Plus to stop blocking ads on their respective websites, according to a paywalled article in the Financial Times. The deals are confidential in nature, though FT says it was able to confirm that they do in fact exist. If true, it raises some questions about the transparency of one of the most popular browser extensions ever made.
Eyeo, the German outfit that owns Adblock Plus, says its software has been downloaded over 300 million times around the globe and has more than 50 million monthly active users. Each one of them is welcome to read the software's FAQ, which says it has "strict criteria" about what it identifies as "Acceptable Ads."
Ads that are deemed acceptable must be static (no animations, sounds, etc) and clearly marked. They also have to follow a set of placement guidelines and follow a few other rules. Users of the extension don't always agree with Eyeo about which ads should pass muster, and many where angry when the company proposed whitelisting Taboola, an advertising network that's known to serve up racy content on occasion.
Despite the protests, Eyeo whitelisted Taboola, and like Google and Amazon, the company refused to comment. Microsoft, however, did issue a statement.
"Microsoft will always give consumers choice when it comes to advertisements. We are committed to working with partners who share our vision for relevant, impactful brand interaction and respect the integrity of consumer choice," Microsoft said.
FT says Eyeo doesn't charge small websites and blogs for its whitelisting process, but that large companies must pony up. How much? Eyeo wasn't willing to say.
Eyeo has to be careful with these deals, as users have the option of blocking all ads, which lessens the value of its whitelisting service to clients, or ditching the extension altogether.
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