Are you wondering: “What is an ad blocker?” That’s a good question, especially if you are new to such features. Advertisements have become an integral part of our lives. Whether it’s on the Internet, television commercials, or the newspaper, most of us go through ads without even batting an eye. So why make a conscious effort now to use an ad blocker when using the Internet?
In this article, we’ll explain what an ad blocker is and how it can improve your browsing experience. Only then can you decide if it is worth spending any amount of time and money.
What Does an Ad Blocker Do?
As the name implies, an ad blocker is a type of software designed to stop or limit advertising solutions on the Internet via web browsers or apps. It literally blocks ads from appearing on your page.
Most ad blockers come in the form of browser extensions while some are bundled with cybersecurity solutions such as VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and antivirus programs.
For more on browser extensions, read Browser VPN: How to Choose Best VPN Chrome, Opera and Microsoft Edge.
Should I Use an Ad Blocker?
So, now that you have an understanding of what an ad blocker is, you might be wondering — should I use an ad blocker? After all, if you’ve spent a significant amount of time on the Internet, then you’ve probably already seen hundreds of ads and think of them as nothing more than a minor annoyance. However, as you’ll learn, ads on the Internet aren’t as harmless as most people think.
Consider the following reasons to start using an ad blocker for your activities over the Internet:
Use an ad blocker for Internet Safety
What most people don’t realize is that Internet ads are not only annoying, but they can also prove to be a cybersecurity threat. It is not to say that all Internet ads are bad, but there are many unscrupulous individuals on the Internet that engage in a practice called “malvertising.” The latter refers to the act of disguising malware to look like an ad and then promoting them via ad networks like Adsense, Media.net, and Propeller Ads.
What’s more troubling is that malvertising can infect a user’s device even without clicking the ad itself. Evidence suggests that visiting an infected site is all that the malware needs to infect your device. According to a 2019 report by Confiant (a digital ad cybersecurity company), malvertising is found in 1 out of every 100 ad impressions on the Internet.
An ad blocker can stop users from opening links that contain malvertising and spare you from many headaches in the process.
For more on internet security, read How to Get Secure and Free Wifi.
Improve your internet experience
Most people have become so used to ads that they’re not bothered by them anymore. That said, wouldn’t you agree that your Internet experience would be so much better without them?
Think about it — what if every website that you visit was clean and uncluttered by ads? Imagine watching your favorite videos on Youtube without having to deal with ad interruptions every few minutes (without paying for Youtube premium). Well, that’s just the kind of experience that ad blockers offer.
If you think that the ads you’ve seen on the Internet are just too annoying, then you would probably agree that ad blockers are worth the price of admission.
Faster internet speeds
You might be surprised how much resources websites are dedicating to serving ads. In many popular news and blogs, this can be as high as 40%! Hence, if you use an ad blocker, you could potentially get websites to load 40% faster, and at the same time, get rid of the things that you don’t want to see when using the Internet.
Best VPN to Use With an Ad Blocker
Now that you’ve learned about some of the great things that an ad blocker can do, you might be wondering — how do you go about starting to use one? Well, as mentioned earlier, ad blockers come in many forms from small browser extensions to full-pledged applications.
If the concern is Internet security, then perhaps the best way to employ ad blockers is to use them in conjunction with an excellent VPN service. That way, you don’t stop at just blocking unwanted ads, but also encrypt all data coming in and out of your device. This makes it very difficult (if not impossible) for anyone to keep track of your activities and steal your personal information online.
Which VPN should you use that offers an ad-blocking feature? We recommend the following VPN services:
FEATURES | NordVPN | ClearVPN | CyberGhost |
| Ad blocker | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Voice call-friendlyconnection speed | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| AES-256 encryption | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Number of countries | 59 | 50+ | 90+ |
| No-logs policy | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| 24/7 Customer support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| No of devices | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Supports chain VPN connections | Yes (Double VPN) | Yes (Double VPN) | No |
| Cost (per month) | $11.95 | $10.36 | $12.99 |
Summary
So there you have it — everything that you need to know about ad blockers and why you should start thinking about using one. It would seem that ads are everywhere on the Internet, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything about it. An excellent VPN service with an integrated ad-blocking feature will enable you to take control of your Internet experience and, at the same time, protect yourself from all manner of cybersecurity threats.
