###### tags: `CDA`

# Adblocking

## Online Ads & Blockers

I have always found online ads to an extemely miserable part of the internet. I could stand reading articles with obvious sponsorships and clear advertisement intents in them, **BUT I cannot stand pop up ads**. It reached the point where I had three adblockers installed for varying purposes and websites.

When I was younger, I was wondering why I would be receiving pop ups about Viagra and retirement homes. I was most definitely not the intended audience for those advertisements! This strongly relates to the subject that was brought up by Don Marti in his article *Targeted Advertising Considered Harmful*.

In the the introduction paragraph of the article, it brings up the idea that if advertisements are supposedly becoming more targeted regarding their audience, then why are more poeple investing in more ad blockers.

I found the selling of personal data to third party groups through different websites and ad information to be particularly worrisome as it can be dangerous on the way that they pinpoint people who lack online security boundaries.

In the article it states that online users have 4 boundaries that can be used to protect themselves from being susceptible to scams. Those being:

* Willpower
* Habit power
* Technology
* Regulation

While these 4 different boundaries do seem like simple ideas on the surface, it really does matter in regards to internet literacy and knowledge. Younger inidividuals can be preyed on a lot more easily in comparison to those who have already received knowledge and lessons regarding their online privacy.

For those who may be lacking in those boundaries, ad blockers are helpful in preventing access to disinformation automatically. I think that ad blockers are a smart choice to add onto different browsers for further protection of individual data.

However, it is still important to note that it is not a full proof option against some ads as ad blockers are still payed to allow "safe" ads through the websites.

### Prior to Ad Blocker
### After Ad Blocker