Google is considering adding an ad-blocker to Chrome. The built-in ad-blocker would likely filter out bad ads, letting those that meet a certain standard through. Google has declined to comment on the rumors, but this would be a logical next step for the company. And good news too.

Advertising is an essential part of the online experience. Without it, the vast majority of websites would simply cease to be. And yet people are blindly using ad-blockers with no regard for the websites that rely on advertising to pay the bills. Including MakeUseOf.

And now, even Google is considering adding an ad-blocker to its Chrome web browser. But this could actually be a good thing for everyone concerned. That is if the rumors are true...

Blocking Bad Ads

The rumors come courtesy of The Wall Street Journal, which cites "people familiar with the company's plans". The WSJ claims Google could "announce the feature within weeks, but it is still ironing out specific details and still could decide not to move ahead with the plan".

Google's ad-blocker wouldn't block everything. Instead, it would likely "filter out certain online ad types deemed to provide bad experiences for users as they move around the web". This includes "pop-ups, auto-playing video ads with sound and 'prestitial' ads with countdown timers".

Essentially, Google would be trying to improve the quality of advertising for everyone using Chrome. The idea being that people don't hate ads per se, but rather bad ads that ruin their online experience. Which is feedback we have previously heard when broaching this subject.

Taking Back Control

This would actually makes a lot of sense. Google is in the online advertising business, and, despite its flaws, Chrome is the biggest web browser on the planet. If it can use the latter to change people's minds on the former, then it would be taking control back from the ad-blockers increasingly threatening its livelihood. This is therefore a win-win for everything concerned.

This is currently nothing more than hearsay based on a solitary publication. So it may come to nothing. Or Google could be on the cusp of disrupting things yet again. Lest we forget that Google I/O 2017 starts on May 17, which would surely be the perfect time to announce such a thing.

Do you currently use an ad-blocker? If so, why? Do you whitelist certain websites? Or do you employ a blanket ban on advertising? What do you think of Google's plans? Do you like the idea of an ad-blocker which filters out bad ads? Please let us know in the comments below!

Image Credit: Stephen Shankland via Flickr