Lost and Found: YouGov Survey Finds Large Ecosystem of Consumers Who Use Ad Blockers but Allow Certain Ads

eyeo Commissioned YouGov to Run a Survey; Finds Users Understand That AD Filtering Keeps Free Content Available on the Internet

eyeo, makers of Adblock Plus, Flattr and Trusted News, announced the results of a US Ad Blocking Usage Report survey conducted by YouGov that finds a forgotten ecosystem of ad block users exists who actually view specific ads they feel are acceptable. This large segment of consumers (officially described as those that filter ads vs. blocking all ads), previously considered by publishers to be lost to ad blockers, can be reached after all, according to survey findings.

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The survey of over 2,500 US consumers was sponsored by eyeo to provide an unbiased analysis of consumer attitudes toward online advertisements and feelings of responsibility around watching ads that help fund publishers and websites because they are in turn able to view free content.*

“The distinction between total ad blocking and ad filtering (allowing certain, acceptable ads through) is very real according to this survey in the US,” said Ben Williams, director of advocacy at eyeo. “While ad-blocking began as an all-or-nothing proposition either you block everything, or you don’t use an ad blocker ad-filtering, whether accomplished through an ad blocker or even directly through the browser, is growing in popularity.”

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The survey demonstrates that this new ad filtering ecosystem segment is attainable so long as advertisers and publishers address them with user-consented ads. In addition, the survey found that circumvention and other techniques used to trick this audience do not work.

“It used to be all about blocking ads and telling advertisers how nasty those pop-up and annoying ads are, but the savvy ad-blocking user base is now very aware of the balance between ad filtering and allowing publishers to make a living from ads that have, for the most part, improved by leaps and bounds in the past 3-4 years,” said Williams. “Now, it’s all about finding a sustainable internet for everyone.”

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