Pop-Ups Get Political: Publishers May Need to Think Twice Before Detecting Ad Blockers

Alexander Hanff, a privacy activist and CEO of Think Privacy, has launched a campaign to “name and shame” publishers using these methods. The campaign announcement comes days after the European Commission stated in a letter addressed to the activist that ad blockers can be illegal and in breach of EU privacy rules.

The mechanism to detect ad blockers appears to require access to personal data. The campaign encourages internet users to report websites circumventing ad blockers to prevent publishers from infringing on personal privacy. Hanff says he will bring legal challenges against sites using anti-ad blockers without prompting for user permission.

Anti-ad blocker use may be the next arena of the data privacy debate, especially if the European Commission solidifies its position on the issue. According to the letter, the EU “cookie directive,” which requires websites to ask users for permission before accessing or storing their information, would apply to this type of technology as well.