AdBlock Plus Updates Acceptable Ads Criteria

AdBlock-Plus-Android-BrowserAdblock Plus has updated its Acceptable Ads criteria – the rules that advertisers must abide by to be included on the extension’s whitelist – in preparation for a 2016 handover to an independent committee.

Adblock Plus developed the first criteria for Acceptable Ads with its users in a series of forum discussions in 2011. Since that time the company has conducted a number of studies, which were used to make minor updates to the Acceptable Ads program. While the foundation of Acceptable Ads criteria will not be affected, the company said the updates make the criteria more specific and digestible; help make the initiative more scalable; and provide a solid platform for an independent board to take control of the criteria in 2016.

In addition to the improved criteria, Adblock Plus has also released more information about how it earns money through the Acceptable Ads initiative. The initiative is a certification process for ads that meet specific criteria, and the largest companies that are certified pay a licensing fee for the process. Information on the Adblock Plus website now clarifies what divides a paying advertiser from a non-payer and explains the base fee.

“We always said that the Acceptable Ads criteria could change as the web and advertising changes,” said Adblock Plus co-founder, Till Faida. “Before we step back from them for good and hand the job over to an independent board, they needed a slight polish with things we’ve been working on for the past couple of years. Plus, we thought it was time to open up our monetization policies to the public, so that people can better understand how a free project like ours is financed.”

The updated criteria are available here. And the monetization information is available here.