Adblocking: How about Nah? (eff.org)

Article summary

The article discusses the rise of adblocking and its impact on online advertising, highlighting the failure of the Do Not Track initiative and the subsequent cat-and-mouse game between adblockers and ad-blocker-blockers. The article argues that adblocking is a form of adversarial interoperability, where users push back against unfair practices. The concentration of power in the tech industry has compromised the Internet's openness, making it difficult for users to resist tracking and obnoxious ads. The article concludes that the rise of adblocking is a response to the take-it-or-leave-it offers of the online world.

Main themes

• adblocking
• online advertising
• adversarial interoperability
• Internet openness
• user privacy
• tech industry concentration

What commenters say

• JavaScript is to blame for the problems of online advertising and tracking due to its ability to enable invasive practices.
• The web does not need a Turing-complete language like JavaScript, and its removal would improve privacy.
• The issue of tracking and advertising is more complex than just blaming JavaScript, and involves multiple factors such as cookies, images, and IP addresses.
• The concentration of power in the tech industry is the root cause of the problem, and regulation or law changes are needed to address digital surveillance.
• Adblocking is a necessary response to the unfair practices of the online advertising industry, and users should be able to make choices about their online experience.
• The use of adblockers and other privacy tools is a form of self-defense against invasive practices, and is not a rejection of the web or its capabilities.
• The debate over JavaScript and adblocking is a symptom of a larger issue, which is the need for a more balanced and user-centric approach to online privacy and security.
• The rise of adblocking and other forms of adversarial interoperability is a sign of a healthy and resilient internet, where users are pushing back against unfair practices and demanding better deals.