Opera brings built-in ad blocker to its desktop browser

PanARMENIAN.Net - Norwegian company Opera is introducing a new version of its desktop computer browser that promises to load web pages faster by incorporating ad-blocking, a move that makes reining in advertising a basic feature instead of an afterthought, Reuters said.

Opera has a history of introducing innovations that later become common in major browsers such as tabbed browsing and pop-up blocking, which helped users control an earlier generation of in-your-face ads and malware disguised as advertising.

"Ad-blocking technology is an opportunity and a wake-up call to the advertising industry to pay attention to what consumers are actually saying," an Opera spokeswoman said.

Opera said it can cut page-loading times by as much as 90 percent by eliminating the complex dance that occurs behind the scenes in a user's browser as various third-party ad networks deliver promotional messages to users.

The Norwegian company, which has agreed to a takeover by a group of Chinese firms led by Beijing Kunlun Tech in a cash deal valued at $1.23 billion, introduced its first computer web browser in 1995.

With the rise of the smartphone, it shifted to focus on the mobile browser and advertising market, where it now derives most of its revenue and counts 281 million users.

Opera said on Thursday, March 10 it was introducing a version of its browser aimed at software developers and early adopters, but will eventually offer the feature for both computers and phones.