Digital Publishing
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The Must-Read Publishing Stories You May Have Missed July 12th 2019

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Firefox is building an “ad-free internet,” Google Chrome’s built-in ad blocker rolls out globally, and more

The battle for an ad-free internet begins

Both Google and Firefox have taken firm steps into ad blocking this week, which might be welcome news for users, but not for publishers who rely on display revenue.

Google began rolling out its built-in ad blocker on Tuesday, which will filter ads on sites globally that repeatedly violate industry standards, such as video ads which autoplay with the sound on.

And Mozilla has just shared a first look at how its ‘better web ecosystem’ will work, inviting users to a free trial of the Firefox Ad-free Internet. This will cost users $4.99 a month once the trial ends, but it pushes user privacy as a differentiating feature.

What sets Mozilla’s venture apart is the relationship it is striking up with publishers as part of the launch. It has partnered with Scroll, a news subscription startup that enables web users to pay for an ad-free experience on publisher sites, which will therefore enable more direct funding of publishers. It’s like their own Apple News+, but can we hope for a more favourable revenue split?

One thing’s for certain: the battle for the future of advertising on the internet is gaining momentum.

@WNIP

What’s new this week

Firefox is building an “ad-free internet,” and plans to pay publishers directly

Mozilla proposed a better web ecosystem balance that puts publishers at the center of the online value exchange. They are now sharing a first look at how this initiative will work.

5 global social media trends, and how they impact publishers
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Google Chrome’s built-in ad blocker rolls out globally (and there’s a new one in the works)
Chrome will begin filtering ads on sites globally that repeatedly violate industry standards and continue to show intrusive, annoying ads to people that visit their websites.
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“People are willing to pay for news,” and other top trends for European publishers
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How Gen Z consume media: “It’s Snapchat first, second and third”
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2 in 3 consumers don’t trust information from social media, and social ad revenue growth has halved
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78% of journalists fear for the future of the profession
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Publishers are building revenue models around rewarding users: Will ‘paying’ for attention pay?
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