UK Culture Secretary Compares Ad-Blocking to Piracy

UK Culture Secretary Compares Ad-Blocking to Piracy

Ad Blocking is a very controversial issue, one that has started a great deal of debate over the internet over the past number of years, now the UK’s Culture secretary, John Whittingdale, has weighed in on the issue, comparing the use of ad block to illegal file sharing/piracy. 

Below is a quote from Mr Whittingdale which compares pieces of online journalism to to a music album, saying that if people do not pay for content that in time the content will no longer exist. 

   This practice is depriving many websites and platforms of legitimate revenue, it is having an impact across the value chain, and it presents a challenge that has to be overcome. Because, quite simply, if people don’t pay in some way for content, then that content will eventually no longer exist.

And that’s as true for the latest piece of journalism as it is for the new album from Muse.

Online advertising is disliked by many people, especially when it comes to more intrusive ads like pop-up ads  or video/audio ads. The UK Culture Secretary also stated that he does not think that ad-blockers should be banned, but that if websites can avoid the use of intrusive ads that ad-block use should decrease. 

    If we can avoid the intrusive ads that consumers dislike, then I believe there should be a decrease in the use of ad-blockers,

John Whittingdale will be meeting “representatives from all sides of the argument” over the coming weeks to discuss the issue and what options are available to better support online creators, though he does not think that ad-blockers should be banned. 

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