Google will start blocking intrusive ads on short-form video content (videos less than 8 minutes in duration) by default in the Google Chrome web browser this August. To be specific, this includes non-skippable ads longer than 31 seconds that appear before a video starts, mid-roll ads, and ads that occupy almost one-third of the content.
For the uninitiated, Google relies on the Better Ads Standards set by the ‘Coalition for Better Ads’ for identifying unintrusive ads. The group recently announced its new standards after conducting research involving 45,000 consumers.
“Broadening the environments covered by our Better Ads Standards will benefit consumers and provide additional guidance for businesses to respond to consumer preferences,” said Neal Thurman, director of the Coalition for Better Ads.
In case you are wondering, this includes Google’s own video platform YouTube as well. “Similar to the previous Better Ads Standards, we’ll update our product plans across our ad platforms, including YouTube, as a result of this standard, and leverage the research as a tool to help guide product development in the future,” wrote Google in a blog post.
The blog post contains GIF renders showing examples of intrusive ad experiences. Take a look at those GIFs below.
This policy will be enforced on Chrome starting August 5 this year. Google advises website owners with ads to review their site status in the Ad Experience Report tool to check if their current ad practices comply with these revised policies.
