Google has announced the creation of a new ad blocker for the Chrome browser. What does that mean for you? Considering that 50% of mobile and PC users utilize Chrome, there could be wide-sweeping effects. Google will target video ads that auto-play with sound, interstitial/pop-up ads, countdown pop-up ads and any other ads that may disrupt a user’s online experience.

At first glance, Google seems to have created this feature in Chrome for a couple of reasons. With the massive increase in ad blockers, Google may just be trying to get out ahead of the game by developing its own. There is also the possibility that Google may try to use this ad blocker as a way to bypass the third-party fees that come with having their ads passed through other parties. Currently they pay third-party fees to services like AdBlock to be pushed through third-party filters. If Google adds in their own ad blocker from the start, it will more than likely mean that fewer people would seek out third-party ad blockers. And, since Chrome has such a large number of users, that could mean a massive reduction in the amount of people using third-party ad blockers.

This move, however, could potentially worry some of Google’s peers and provoke a backlash. Publishers may now be concerned about the functionality of ads served across Chrome. If you consider the amount of inventory Google has available, there are some large implications on the ability to serve ads.

There is also the possibility that Google is using their ad blocker to gain a competitive advantage. In a recent Digiday article, Yieldbot CEO Jonathan Mendez stated that this could be Google playing the long game to gain advertising dollars. If you consider the types of ads Google is looking to block, there is a possibility they are trying to push the market toward using YouTube for video advertising, and promoting a larger shift to AdWords/search.

Currently there is not a lot of information on this new ad blocker, so most of this is speculation. In the coming months, I am sure we will learn more about Google’s specific plans. Until then, advertisers can hope it will have a positive effect, both for advertisers and consumers. We will provide updates as soon as we have more information on this topic, so be on the lookout for more information.