Update 12 Aug: AdBlock Plus, the ad blocking extension has published a workaround to Facebook’s feature to surpass adblockers which would show Facebook users ads on desktop. This way, ads which Facebook decides to show to a user can be suppressed by either inserting a filter code or by updating the filtering lists from AdBlock, both of which can be found on its blog. AdBlock Plus had previously written a blog post stating that Facebook’s move to surpass adblockers was against user choice, given that users had blocked ads in the first place for a reason. Facebook will roll out a workaround to AdBlock’s workaround as indicated by this TechCrunch report. MediaNama has written to Facebook for a comment and will update this once we hear from them. 10 August: Facebook has introduced tools to let its users decide which ads they want to see, and created new ad formats “that complement people’s online experience.” Ads can be muted by topic, for example cats or travel. Facebook will let users block ads from businesses or organisations on whose user lists they are (see third image below). The company is also going to show ads on Facebook desktop for users using adblock software. Interestingly, Facebook says that these tools have been designed specifically for people who use adblockers. Ad blocking extension AdBlock Plus wrote a blog post stating that this move is against user choice, given that users have blocked ads in the first place for a reason. On going to the…
