• by Sean Hargrave , Staff Writer, December 4, 2015

Ad blocking is coming to mobile -- and it's not just via browser add-ons available to Android and iOS9 users. No, it's actually being actively considered by the mobile operators themselves. That's the potentially scary message this morning from ISBA, the "voice of the British advertiser." It has warned in Campaign that not only is start-up Shine launching an ad-blocking trial at operator level in Jamaica but UK operators, including EE and O2, are also revealing that they are looking at ad blocking at operator level as a way of giving consumers more control over their experience.

The other part of the potential development that might start alarm bells ringing is that the operators are not only contemplating blocking mobile ads on browsers, but also within apps. This is a serious departure from blocking ads on Web sites and could obviously cause mayhem among app developers. The investigations, ISBA assures, are just a case of operators looking at the technology available, but there should be alarm bells ringing right now among publishers with a mobile Web or app-based audience who rely on advertising to keep the lights switched on.

So it's time to strike back. If you're a publisher, you really need to be bold and have the systems in place to detect ad blocking and withhold content from those who refuse to disable their ad blocker or pay for your content. Don't worry about the digital thieves who would readily take your content without paying for it, even with their attention -- they're not worth worrying about. They earn you no money, and all they want to do is take your content without keeping their half of the bargain.

What's more, app developers will have to be far more bullish about offering paid apps that are ad free. I'm always amazed at how many publishers seem to forget about even trying to upgrade me when I download a free app. I am more than happy to pay a pound or two for an app that I find useful, and I think the majority of the public would too. Paying for an app is a good discipline because it helps the user determine which apps are important to them and which they really should consider deleting.

I was looking into app developers recently, and the vast majority barely break even. There's an endless cycle of people downloading a game and playing it for a bit with some ads flashing on the side before consigning it to the graveyard of the third or fourth screen on the mobile device. It will sit there until the owner has five minutes for a clear out. Even "Angry Birds" has sat unused for many months on my mobile device. It's just the nature of things. So, if app developers seriously think advertising will pay for innovation, they're skating on thin ice. The occasional mega app will make money this way, and most will not.

So why on earth don't app makers try harder to upgrade people? If they like the game or the info you're providing, why not get in early with an upgrade offer? It just seems so pointless hoping they will consume enough ads to pay for the free app at some stage further down the line. If the app is that compelling, they'll pay for it, surely? If not, it will never get used enough to balance the books anyway.

It's an inconvenient truth that operators considering ad blocking shines a very bright light on. If it happens, app developers will have to take a stand and ensure that blockers don't gain access to their content, but they will have to become far more focussed on getting people to pay for apps.

So the warning is in the post. Publishers must get tougher with ad blockers and they need to offer ways for customers to avoid ads by paying for their content. If they don't, they will just sleepwalk off a very high cliff hoping enough people are still watching the ads to keep the lights on.