In 2016, usage of adblock software on desktop and mobile devices grew by 30% YoY to reach 615 million devices globally. In December 2016 there were 380 million mobile devices blocking ads and 236 million desktop/laptop devices blocking ads. 11% of the global internet population now blocks ads on the web.

Adblock is growing across platforms.

The most popular form of adblock (in the United States and Europe) is done by adblock extensions installed in web browsers. Here is how they operate.

Normally when a web page loads the user’s web browser makes requests to servers for editorial and advertising content.

Normal page load without adblock installed.

Adblock extensions have the power to control what requests a web browser makes. They monitor all requests made by the browser and refuse any requests that match an entry contained in a blacklist. The most popular of these advertising blacklists is ‘Easylist’, which is maintained by a large community and updated regularly.

Adblock extension prevents browser making request for ad from ad server.

When ads are blocked the spaces where they would have appeared are now left empty.

Space on the web page is now left vacant by ads.

The adblock extensions generally reflow the editorial content to occupy the space vacated by the advertising (using CSS styling).

Content is reflowed to occupy space left by blocked ads.

From the web user’s perspective the result is a cleaner redesign of the web page, and the page loads much faster because no ads are being transferred. From the publisher’s perspective the result is an inability to monetize the web user.

This chart shows the results of a survey of over 1000 adblock users in the United States conducted by PageFair in November 2016. Adblock users were asked to identify the single most important reason for using adblock software on their desktop and laptop computers.

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This chart shows the results of a survey of over 1000 adblock users in the United States conducted by PageFair in November 2016. Previous analyses by different organizations showed significantly higher rates of adblock usage among young males. These survey results now indicate that adblock usage demographics are either broader than previously anticipated, or that adblock usage has become more mainstream.

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• Men are 34% more likely than women to use adblock software on desktop and laptop computers.
• Suburban and urban internet users are 17% more likely to use desktop adblock software than those in rural areas.

Survey results also indicate that adblock users may also be more educated than non-adblock users. They indicate that adblock users in the US are 1.5x as likely to have a bachelor’s degree than the average American adult, increasing to 3x as likely among 18-24 year olds. Pronounced adblock usage among college-age respondents points to campuses as a major vector for adblock adoption.

• Among 18-24 year olds, bachelor’s degree attainment was 35% among adblock users surveyed, versus 11% according to the US Census (and 26% among the survey pool).
• Across all age groups, bachelor’s degree attainment was 45% among adblock users surveyed, versus 30% according to the US Census (and 40% among the survey pool).

The ‘blocked web,’ the portion of the web where users block ads, is steadily growing. This is creating a new, premium segment.

While this is causing short term pain to publishers it actually opens up a new and entirely uncluttered (and zero fraud) segment that brands can reach using PageFair’s ad-serving technology.

Provided publishers and advertisers address this segment respectfully (and address genuine consumer issues of privacy, security, and speed) this growing segment is a boon to brands seeking an uncluttered premium space for above the line brand building.

Today there are two categories of user who visit your site: users of the normal web who see all ads, and users of the blocked web who currently see so ads and are of particular interest to premium advertisers.