EE enters fray over advertising on mobile devices

U.K. wireless carrier EE has announced they are going to start looking at technology that would give end users more control over the advertising that shows up on their smartphones, including going so far as blocking some in-app advertising. A move to start limiting or blocking advertising, especially if adopted by other carriers, could have a huge impact on the $3B USD mobile advertising market in the U.K.

EE CEO Olaf Swantee said in an interview on the matter,

“We think it’s important that, over time, customers start to be offered more choice and control over the level and intensity of ads on mobile. For EE, this is not about ad blocking, but about starting an important debate around customer choice, controls and the level of ads customers receive.”

Blocking advertising is not a new concept, though usually it is a step that customers have to initiate using a variety of tools and methods. EE’s decision to take a look at what could be done to help customers control the advertising they are exposed to moves the discussion up a level. Digicel, a Caribbean wireless operator, has already taken steps in this direction and has announced plans to install network software to block virtually all advertising. That is, until they can exact a share of the revenue pie in a trade to let the advertising through. EE’s move seems to be more focused on helping customers achieve a better user experience and perhaps encourage better behavior on the part of advertisers and developers.

source: The Telegraph

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