14 DAY TRIAL // Late last month, the EU's Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (Berec) stated that network providers in EU countries can't interfere with any Internet services or applications that their customers use. It seems that one mobile carrier from the UK is preparing to ignore the regulation and enable network-level ad-blocking next year.
Three, a mobile carrier from the UK, intends to enable network-wide ad-blocking, despite EU regulations on net neutrality. It seems that Berec issued a guidance saying that “providers of internet access services… shall not block, slow down, alter, restrict, interfere with, degrade or discriminate between specific content, applications or services,” according to IT Pro.
However, the guidance is intended for national regulators, which means that it's not directly applicable to network providers. Ofcom, the communications regulator in the UK, is expected to analyze the Berec guidance and choose in which way it will enforce it. The regulator has already started interpreting providers' plans to see if they represent a breach of the Berec guidance.
Three intends to launch network-level ad-blocking in 2017
Three from the UK has already launched trials for its network-wide ad-blocking, which would “revolutionize the mobile advertising experience” of its customers. The carrier would force advertisers to pay for data chargers related to ads and not the user, since some ads imply that the user's privacy and safety may be at risk. In addition, such a measure would mean that Three customers would only receive ads that are relevant and interesting to them.
The service could be opt-in for customers, and it could launch in 2017 in the country, although that remains to be seen. Ad-blocking is not a cut-and-dry matter, as it does help users avoid annoying ads, it also helps businesses grow. Analysts say that ad-blocking services could cost publishers up to £19 billion by 2020, considering that the number of ad-block users rose 41 year-on-year in 2015.
On the other side, Shine Technologies, the company working with Three and other mobile companies on ad blocking trials, believes Europeans have the right to protect themselves from being tracked, profiled and targeted.