In April, details emerged of Google's plans to integrate an ad-blocker into its Chrome web browser. Google, it was said, intended to target "unacceptable ads", identified under guidelines established with the Coalition for Better Ads, of which the tech giant is a member.
Now, Google has begun the process of bringing that feature to its users. Its latest Chrome Canary build - which offers an early preview of new features, before they make it into more stable builds - includes references to the native ad-blocker.
In the browser's settings menu, under 'site settings', there's a subsection called 'Ads', which contains a single toggle: "Block ads from sites that tend to show intrusive ads." The setting is switched off by default in the current build, but it's not clear if that will change in the future.
The exact criteria under which a site would be considered to serve up "intrusive ads" also remains uncertain. It's believed that they would include the use of pop-up ads, along with 'prestitials', which force you to sit through an ad before the web page finishes loading.
Google is reportedly planning to launch its native ad-blocker next year. The company is also said to be working on a new website tool that will prompt visitors to disable third-party ad blockers, or to purchase an ad-free browsing pass to view a site.
Editor's note: If you use ad-blocking software, we would greatly appreciate it if you whitelisted Neowin. Advertising enables us to develop and strengthen Neowin and our community. Neowin offers low-cost subscriptions, which support us while removing advertising without the need for extra software. You'll also see fewer ads across the site if you register (free!) as a member and log in.
Source: TechCrunch / Carsten Knobloch
Update: As Tero Alhonen spotted, the new Chrome Canary build for Windows also includes the first signs of the built-in ad-blocker:
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