Author Topic: AdNauseam - an Adblocker that tricks ads. (Read 2943 times)

joe411 · August 27, 2017, 03:15:12 PM

http://AdNauseam.io

AdNauseam is essentially uBlock origin, but it also silently clicks each ad that's blocked, essentially tricking the advertiser. Because of this, many advirtisers are asking for refunds due to fake ad clicks.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-issuing-refunds-to-advertisers-over-fake-traffic-plans-new-safeguard-1503675395

If you're pissed at Google for the whole adpocalypse thing, this is probably the best way to protest it.

Learn more: https://vimeo.com/111943439

Ad Bot · Advertisement

Verification · August 27, 2017, 03:16:44 PM

woah an ADBLOCKER that runs a process to CLICK blocked ads automaticaly????? how useful. cant wait to install this on my computer so i will never get a virus again

/s and this seems kinda shady

Drydess · August 27, 2017, 03:27:24 PM

hm...something seems to be wrong with my ads...

K�tt · August 27, 2017, 03:27:47 PM

Okay Ad Bot I Will Disable For You. :)

Otis Da HousKat · August 27, 2017, 03:27:53 PM

forget online ads, but wasn't there controversy around this when it was released awhile ago because it could potentially get your Google accounts banned for TOS violations around ad fraud?

I tried to be, "nice," and enable ads for BLF when they first appeared but on a couple of occasions I got some rogue popup and redirect ads. Screw that.

Trogtor · August 27, 2017, 03:38:29 PM

if its technically clicking ads doesnt that mean its gonna recommend me literally everything that pops up as an ad? this could cause problems because its much much harder getting an adblocker on my phone and i dont want to see ads for stuff on my phone for stupid crap

Red Spy · August 27, 2017, 03:42:28 PM

Quote from: Verification on August 27, 2017, 03:16:44 PM

cant wait to install this on my computer so i will never get a virus again

Legodude77 · August 27, 2017, 05:36:02 PM

It simulates clicks on the ads for you, only telling the owner of the ad that they got another click. It doesn't actually affect you in anyway. You won't see any ads, and it won't change how ads are recommended to you either. So if it clicks on a malicious ad you will not be affected in any way (you wouldn't have seen the ad anyways because it has uBlock built in).

The whole point is to mess up their algorithms and hopefully stop them from silently tracking what people like through the ads they click. If you click all the ads then it cannot track you as easily.

torin� · August 27, 2017, 05:39:08 PM

Quote from: Verification on August 27, 2017, 03:16:44 PM

woah an ADBLOCKER that runs a process to CLICK blocked ads automaticaly????? how useful. cant wait to install this on my computer so i will never get a virus again

/s and this seems kinda shady

Quote from: Red Spy on August 27, 2017, 03:42:28 PM

you stupid

Quote from: Trogtor on August 27, 2017, 03:38:29 PM

if its technically clicking ads doesnt that mean its gonna recommend me literally everything that pops up as an ad? this could cause problems because its much much harder getting an adblocker on my phone and i dont want to see ads for stuff on my phone for stupid crap

this

Steve5451� · August 27, 2017, 05:40:11 PM

Quote from: Trogtor on August 27, 2017, 03:38:29 PM

if its technically clicking ads doesnt that mean its gonna recommend me literally everything that pops up as an ad? this could cause problems because its much much harder getting an adblocker on my phone and i dont want to see ads for stuff on my phone for stupid crap

this is a very good point

PhantOS · August 27, 2017, 05:40:30 PM

cant wait for all ad revenue to die and all websites to require payment to use

Pecon · August 27, 2017, 05:43:29 PM

This is pretty dumb though, because it breaks the business model of the advertisers even further because now advertising networks have to go to further lengths to verify that clicks are actual legitimate users, and not just people using this extension to fake clicks and generate false revenue for the sites they are visiting. This will mean that advertisers will start forcing site operators to introduce more 'ad-blocker detection' and block those users, a thing that some places already do but only to serve their own interests. This kind of extension could cause that sort of ad-block detection to be mandatory in order to have any advertisements at all.

So in general, this is kinda an awful idea and you should just pick between not looking at ads at all or browsing with them.

Steve5451� · August 27, 2017, 05:46:42 PM

Quote from: PhantOS on August 27, 2017, 05:40:30 PM

cant wait for all ad revenue to die and all websites to require payment to use

we brought this upon ourselves

Magus · August 27, 2017, 05:49:37 PM

TvTropes started having a thing that bugs you about having an adblocker.

So I decided to disable adblock for it.
It started lagging to death and crashing because of the ads, as it did before I got adblock.
I reenabled adblock.

Advertisers have, to some extent, brought this upon themselves as well.
Not to mention websites with autoplaying video/audio ads, or pop-ups, or whatever.

PhantOS · August 27, 2017, 06:45:16 PM

you realize without advertisement there's no conceivable way to earn money besides like, adding premium accounts. pretty soon whole websites that were once free will essentially require an account with payment on it

some major ad company will probably buy out adnauseam or adblocker at some point and just remove it entirely so that they can still profit