How do adblock blockers work?

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bl0ckth1s
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2016 4:31 am

How do adblock blockers work?

Post by bl0ckth1s »

I assume it's usually like this:
-- page includes a javascript file with a name that is blatant adblock bait that does something like create an image or set a variable
-- later script checks to see if the first one fired; if not it pegs you as an ad blocker

I noticed one aggressively monetized blog a couple of years ago that apparently tried to withhold the content until ads could be verified to have loaded. Alas, if one of the many ad servers was slow, it choked their whole site so they had to give it up. Are there any other methods used?

The typical cure for an adblock blocker seems to be just a blanket exception for the site in the filter (i.e. total surrender), perhaps with ad-hoc site-specific re-blocking of some of of the ad networks they use. Is that a fair impression?
lewisje
Posts: 2743
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:07 pm

Re: How do adblock blockers work?

Post by lewisje »

That's been discussed many times, and I like the rendition I gave in this thread, one of many many explanations of how ad-blocker detection (or more precisely, "inference") works: forum/viewtopic.php?t=42628

(Still, your guess is one of the more naive and easily circumvented antiblock methods, followed by the straightforward way to circumvent it.)
There's a buzzin' in my brain I really can't explain; I think about it before they make me go to bed.
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