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Chrome will begin to block resource-heavy ads From August
Google today revealed that Chrome is beginning to block resource-intensive advertising. Examples include advertising that mine cryptocurrencies, are poorly configured, or are not designed for network use. Chrome can block these ads because they "drain battery power, saturate already overloaded networks, and cost money." There are three potential ad thresholds that can be blocked: 4 MB of network data, 15 seconds of CPU use in any 30-second duration, or 60 seconds of total Processor use. Google will be experimenting with this change "over the next few months" and will roll it out on Chrome's stable "near the end of August."
Since ad blockers harm publishers (like VentureBeat) who create free content, banning all advertising will cripple not only one of the few web monetization tools, but Alphabet 's key revenue stream as well. Indeed, Google has a strong interest in enhancing the user experience of the internet. Google's strategy is therefore to start small and ramp up slowly — slowly transforming how company owners, advertisers, and developers create websites. Given its scope, including over 1 billion Chrome users and over 2.5 billion active Android devices per month, not to mention Google Search and Google Ads, everyone with a website needs to watch Google's priorities.
Disproportional share of the resources of the unit
Google claims that "a fraction of a percent of ads" consumes a disproportionate share of system resources, like battery and network data. The company analyzed Chrome ads and targeted the most conspicuous ads, meaning those that "use more CPUs or network bandwidth than 99.9 percent of all ads detected for that resource."
The thresholds (4 MB of network data, 15 seconds of CPU usage in any 30-second cycle, 60 seconds of total Processor use) reflect just 0.3 percent of ads, Google said. And yet they account for 26% of the network data used by advertisers and 28% of all ad CPU consumption. The Google chart below shows the total percentage of heavy and non-heavy ads and the overall usage of each tool.
Chrome can restrict the resources that a show ad can use until the user interacts with the ad. If the ad exceeds one of the thresholds, the ad frame will navigate to an error page that simply says "Ad removed."
Extended roll out of it
Google is trying to throw its weight around to cut those numbers down. It would probably change the thresholds. It's the goal? "To save the batteries and data plans of our users and to provide them with good web experience."
But Google doesn't just want to turn the key on this powerful ad interference. The company is trying to give ad developers and tool providers time to "prepare and integrate these thresholds into their workflows." Google will also exchange data with advertisers so they can see how Chrome's ad blockers are impacting their advertising.
