Apple blocks unwanted advertising

Every time Apple does an iOS update, it comes with a barrage of both support and criticism. And while consumers may be praising the company’s latest release, it is set to cause a few headaches in the advertising world.

The company recently confirmed the upcoming iOS 9 update will allow users to block unwanted advertising on iPhone and iPad platforms. Users will be able to download an extension from the app store, which will block ads on most websites.

In a statement, the company says: “The new Safari release brings Content Blocking Safari Extensions to iOS. Content Blocking gives your extensions a fast and efficient way to block cookies, images, resources, pop-ups, and other content.”

What this means for advertisers is unclear, but there are concerns that adblocking will drastically reduce advertising revenue. AdNews states that 150 million people worldwide currently have adblocking codes embedded in their computers, which is costing Australia $4 billion in ad revenue.

This means 16.5 per cent of internet users within the nation are not seeing advertising online at present, with the number predicted to increase when Apple’s latest feature becomes available.