Tech giant Apple recently announced that the company's upcoming operating system update, due to be released in September, will support ad blocking software to be installed on its Safari web browser. This new announcement stirred a very troubling reaction from online publishers and advertisers.
Interactive Advertising Bureau senior vice president Scott Cunningham told The Wall Street Journal, "The operating system and browser makers have a great deal of power when it comes to the consumer experience. We are concerned about the moves they're making."
The Apple Safari web browser has supported ad blocking software for many years now, but this feature is only available on the browser's desktop version. The recent announcement from Apple means that this functionality will be finally enjoyed by iOS users.
Reports claim that the ad blocking feature will be supported by the iOS 9 operating system which is due to be released by September. Testers of the operating system have already confirmed that the ad blocking capability is already included on the iOS 9 beta version.
Many sites and online publications rely most of their income on advertising. Considering Apple's latest foray into the ad blocking industry, online advertisers will surely suffer major drawbacks in terms of monetizing the mobile industry.
According to Nasdaq, the mobile advertising business has an annual worth of $70 billion. Tech companies along with online publications are expected to generate more revenue as the mobile market continues to grow exponentially every year.
Despite this lucrative online advertising business, many mobile users consider ads as an annoyance to their regular browsing experience. Some mobile users also claim that without the presence of ads on their browsers, web page tends to load faster.