A former Google exec has raised $10 million in investments to block adblockers, according to Ben Barokas, founder of adblock-block company Sourcepoint in an interview with the Financial Times. Google has not invested in the company.
Barokas sold its advertising network Admeld to Google in 2011 for $400 million, the company offered internet advertising. His new company Sourcepoint develops software that allows website owners to block visitors using an adblocker. According to Barokas his technology is very flexible and makes it possible to only block parts of a website for adblock users.
Earlier also Apple announced that iPhone users can soon block advertisements on mobile Safari.
"Users have the right to block ads, but publishers have the right to block content when users interfere with their web page", according to Barokas. According to Sourcepoint about 1 out of 5 advertisements is blocked in the United States, in Europe the number is higher.
Sourcepoint does not only want to stop ad blockers, but also offer visitors multiple options. Users could e.g. pay a fee to no longer see advertisements on a website. Users visiting a website with Sourcepoint can also pick which advertisements they want or don't want to see.
Currently the company works together with 22 publishers where Sourcepoint's software is integrated with their advertising server.
The most popular adblocker, Adblock Plus, doesn't block all advertisements. Companies can pay a fee to Adblock Plus to make sure their advertisements are also shown to users with an adblocker, which is also the business model of this browser plugin. Through the settings of Adblock Plus users can change a setting which will prevent any advertisements to be shown.
