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AdBlock Plus: Facebook Ads Can Still Be Blocked

AdBlock Plus warned that 'this is still a cat-and-mouse game,' and Facebook may soon defeat this solution.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Well, that was fast. Just two days after Facebook announced plans to start forcing ad-blocking users to see ads on its desktop site, AdBlock Plus has already beat the social network's new system.

In a Thursday blog post, AdBlock Plus' Ben Williams announced that users can update their filter lists now, and start re-blocking ads on Facebook.

"We promised that the open source community would have a solution very soon, and, frankly, they've beaten even our own expectations," Williams wrote. "As many of your know, the filter lists that 'tell' Adblock Plus what to block are in fact the product of a global community of web citizens."

"This time that community seems to have gotten the better of even a giant like Facebook," he added.

AdBlock Plus users can check out the post for instructions on how to manually update their filter list. If that's too much work, just wait a day or so and the filter will be updated automatically.

Williams warned that "this is still a cat-and-mouse game," and Facebook may soon defeat this solution.

"It's very possible that Facebook will write some code that will render the filter useless — at any time," he wrote. "If that happens, the ad-blocking community will likely find another workaround, then Facebook might circumvent again, etc."

Facebook is, obviously, not pleased with the move.

"We're disappointed that ad blocking companies are punishing people on Facebook as these new attempts don't just block ads but also posts from friends and Pages," a spokesperson said in a statement to PCMag. "This isn't a good experience for people and we plan to address the issue."

The hoopla comes after Facebook on Tuesday announced a plan to bypass addons like AdBlock or Ghostery, which sniff out advertising using a variety of methods. Facebook is circumventing all but the most determined ad blockers by making its advertisements indistinguishable from the status updates, photo uploads, and other content that appears in your news feed.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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