Opera Launches 37 version with In-Build Ad Blocker Function
Norway-based company Opera is announcing a new version of its desktop computer browser that promises to load web pages faster by including ad-blocking.
According to Opera, it has become the first web browser to include a built-in ad blocker. Faster loading, increased privacy and security and a desire for fewer distractions are behind the growing demand for ad-blockers.
"If there were no bloated ads, some top websites would load up to 90 per cent faster," wrote Krystian Kolondra, senior vice president of global engineering for Opera.
In its Thursday announcement, Opera says that its ad blocking functionality doesn’t slow browsing and page load speed not like typical browser extensions, as it checks block lists because it blocks ads when a network demand for a URL is first initiated.
The move can reduce page loading times by as much as 90% by preventing the browser having to make requests to ad networks, which slows page loading.
The company claims that page-load times are 40% faster than with existing adblocker plugins or browser extensions because it is building the feature directly into its browser.
We can turn the ad-blocking feature off for some specific sites. Those sites get added to an exceptions list, which user can access and manage from Opera's settings. Additionally, a user can see how page loading times are affected and how many ads they've blocked, as well as run a built-in benchmark.
However, the ever-growing demand and popularity of ad-blockers have considerably affected the online advertising industry. Considering that Opera owns an online advertising business, the inbuilt ad-blocker comes as a shock to many.
The browser has also introduced a speed test tool to explain the problem of so-called heavy ads to show how much faster page load would be without ads. “We believe this will accelerate the change that the ad industry needs to pursue,” the company declares.