The Internet is a wondrous place, featuring almost any kind of content imaginable, but with this diversity comes one thing that most can do without: ads. The intrusive promos are everywhere and have become an inextricable part of the online experience, so much so that Opera, a Web browser developer, is finally doing something about it.
Opera is introducing a new version of its desktop web browser that had one thing that every other browser to date lacked: a built-in ad-blocker, which eliminates the need to scour the Internet for a third-party one.
Not only does the ad-blocker save users the trouble of finding an extension, but it also provides a 40-percent faster browsing experience on average when compared to third-party ad-blocking extensions. This is made possible by carrying out the filtering process at the web-engine level, allowing the browser to fully control the loading process of the webpage - a process that current ad-blocking extensions can't do.
"Advertising fuels the internet, allowing for many services to be free for users," Krystian Kolondra, SVP of engineering and head of Opera for computers, said in a statement.
"But, as our new research shows, most webpages today are significantly slowed down by bloated ads and heavy tracking. We don't accept it - we want the web to be a better place for us all, as users."
Introducing its first web browser in 1995, the Norwegian-based company is responsible for much of the the common features we see in major browsers today. Such features include tabbed browsing and pop-up blocking aimed at users combat earlier forms of ads and malware.
Granted, this browser is still a developer version and is still quite a ways from a completed version, but if it works out as planned, it could provide Opera, which is ranked fifth behind more mainstream desktop computers, a much-needed edge over its competition.
Rivals such as Google and Microsoft are unlikely to adopt first-party ad-blockers because the feature would cut directly into their web ad businesses. Opera, on the other hand, noted that while it, too, receives a large chunk of its revenue from advertising, the demand for ad-blocking services would diminsh once ads become less disruptive and more relevant.
"Ad-blocking technology is an opportunity and a wake-up call to the advertising industry to pay attention to what consumers are actually saying," Opera said.
Check out Opera's ad-blocker in action below:
