Google has announced the date when its Chrome web browser will start blocking ads. And it is February 15, 2018. This is slap-bang between the dates when Chrome 64 (Jan 23rd) and Chrome 65 (March 6th) are due to be released. Think of it as a late Christmas gift from Uncle Google.

In April 2017 we heard the first rumblings that Google was preparing to incorporate an ad-blocker into Chrome. Details were thin on the ground, but by July Google was actively testing the aforementioned ad-blocker in Chrome Canary, the experimental version of the web browser.

Google Chrome Will Block the Worst Ads

Now, Google has announced that Chrome will start blocking ads on February 15, 2018. However, as anyone who has been paying attention will already know, Chrome won't block all ads on all sites. Instead, Chrome will block the worst kinds of ads guaranteed to annoy everyone.

According to the Coalition for Better Ads' Better Ads Standards, which Google has now signed up to support, this includes pop-up ads, auto-playing video ads with sound, prestitial ads with countdown, flashing animated ads, full-screen scroll-over ads, and large sticky ads.

In order to punish the websites serving these types of ads, Google will block all ads on sites considered to be "failing" for more than 30 days. They will then need to kill the offending ads and submit their site for review before Chrome starts showing ads again. Harsh but fair.

These types of ads can prompt people to install third-party ad-blockers. And ad-blockers are killing websites' main source of income. By endeavoring to only block the worst kinds of ads, Google could dissuade people from installing ad-blockers and save sites from financial ruin.

Google Creates a Win-Win-Win Situation

It should go without saying that Google has a vested interest in all of this. Because selling ads is still Google's primary business concern. However, Chrome's native ad-blocker could help users, websites, and Google without inconveniencing anyone but those unwilling to abide by the new rules. And evil third-party ad-blockers, of course. Which is a win-win-win in my book.

What do you think of Chrome's new ad-blocker? Are you looking forward to seeing less annoying ads? Would you be willing to stop using a third-party ad-blocker if the most intrusive and unwanted ads became a thing of the past? Please let us know in the comments below!

Image Credit: Isaac Bowen via Flickr