Popular Privacy Plug-In Ghostery Made Open Source

The German software company Cliqz, owner of the popular privacy plug-in Ghostery , has decided to make the tool open source. Ghostery blocks ads and trackers and has millions of users. A year ago Ghostery was taken over by Cliqz .

In the interests of transparency and an open internet, Cliqz has made the choice to make Ghostery open source. By looking at the source code, users can see how Ghostery works and what kind of data it collects. In addition, other developers can now contribute to the privacy plug-in. "Only when people understand what data digital products collect can they make meaningful decisions about what information they want to share and with whom," says Jeremy Tillman , Ghostery's product director.

According to Cliqz, most Ghostery users share stats with which new trackers are found. The software company emphasizes that it is anonymous statistics that also assess the relevance and safety of websites. However, it is also possible to set Ghostery so that no data is shared. The source code of Ghostery can be found on GitHub .

Adblock Plus For iOS App Store Officially Launched

The makers of the popular browser extension Adblock Plus now also have a version for iOS nine developed which is free from the App Store to obtain. Through the AdBlocker allows users to block ads on their iPhone and iPad. This can save users data traffic, protect themselves against infectious ads, improve privacy and reduce battery consumption, according to the developers.

To use Adblock Plus for iOS users must perform some actions. The developers of the browser extension therefore have a very brief guide put online. Adblock Plus has been downloaded over 300 million times and has tens of millions of active users. It is by far the most popular browser extension on the Internet. The iOS version is free via the App Store to download. Yesterday launched also the Finnish anti-virus firm F-Secure its own free AdBlocker. Since Apple iOS nine state AdBlocker apps increasing, which now several apps has produced.

German Publisher Loses Lawsuit Against Adblock Plus

One of the biggest publishers in Europe have lost a lawsuit in Germany against Adblock Plus, with the German court the popular AdBlocker declared legal. Axel Springer SE in more than 40 countries and is responsible for publications as Die Welt, Bild, Sport Bild, Fakt and Business Insider.

According to lawyers for the publisher, the press has the fundamental right to advertise and advertisements would not be using products like Adblock Plus may be blocked. The lawyers argued that the publisher Axel Springer AG as the core task is displaying ads to visitors. "Journalistic content is only a means for readers to show the ads," so they let the judge know.

The judge ruled that Adblock Plus, which has tens of millions of users worldwide, is legal and therefore just can remain. In a response saying the developers of the AdBlocker that they continue to work with publishers, advertisers and websites in order not to encourage intrusive ads, finding new ways to improve and achieve a sustainable internet ecosystem for everyone advertisements. In April and May pulled German publishers and television companies in lawsuits against Adblock Plus even though the short straw.

Anti-Virus Company F-Secure Launches Free AdBlocker For iOS

The Finnish anti-virus firm F-Secure today announced a free AdBlocker for iOS nine launched that allows iPhone and iPad users can block ads. Since the launch of Apple's iOS nine state that apps block ads, which is a series of adblockers yielded.

However, F-Secure is the first security company that offers such software for iOS users. According to the anti-virus business users can surf faster by blocking ads, it saves bandwidth and protects privacy. In addition, according to the virus fighter is user privacy guaranteed. As F-Secure do not know which ads have blocked its own app and which websites users have visited. AdBlocker like the app is called, is free from the Apple App Store to download.

Adblockers Great Success In Apple App Store

Apps that allow users to block ads on websites are a great success in the Apple App Store and developers deliver tens of thousands of dollars, reports the Wall Street Journal. Since the launch of iOS 9 makes it possible to block ads on iPhones and iPads.

In the first week since the launch of iOS nine are the 10 most popular apps together AdBlocker downloaded about 600,000 times. The AdBlocker app Crystal managed to get more than 100,000 downloads in a week, what the developer resulted in an estimated $ 75,000. Another AdBlocker app, the 4-dollar Blockr, has already passed the 35 000 downloads.Since launching the app AdBlocker Purify the developer has delivered more than $ 150,000.

The first popular AdBlocker in the App Store was Peace, which resulted in two days 38,000 downloads passed and the developer $ 110,000. He decided to remove his creation but from the App Store because it rigorously blocked ads. In most cases, the applications are made by one or two developers. Thus Crystal created by one programmer, who was here two months working on it.

Conference

Today starts the Advertising Week conference in New York. For a week, the ad industry convened at adblockers will be one of the most discussed topics. Many publishers and ad networks are worried about the rise of adblockers, which are no longer used only by geeks, but have become mainstream. "We have people learned how to circumvent advertising and that's a problem," said Maryam Banikarim, chief marketing officer of Hyatt Hotels chain.

Adblock Plus For iOS Is Awaiting Approval Apple

The most famous AdBlocker on the internet can come any time, also for iOS, but is still awaiting approval from Apple. That is what the developers of Adblock Plus know. Adblock Plus was previously only available on the desktop and has been downloaded over 300 million times.

With the release of iOS nine are now supported adblockers on the iPhone and iPad. Recently appeared AdBlocker 'Peace' in the App Store and became a huge success until the developer withdrew the app. In their own words the AdBlocker was too rigorous with ad blocking. It was an all-or-nothing approach.

Crystal, another app in the App Store, is selective in its work. "Acceptable ads" are admissible. To this end the AdBlocker use the whitelist of Adblock Plus. Crystal, which is now the best-selling app on iTunes is also recommended by the developers of Adblock Plus, whose own app is expected soon in the App Store.

Adblock Plus Launches Its Own Browser For Android

The makers Adblock Plus , the popular browser extension on the Internet, launched its own browser for Android that ad blocking is central. Through Adblock Plus can block Internet ads. According to the developers, the add-on downloaded over 300 million times. If we look at the statistics of active daily users would look about 20 million Firefox users and over 10 million users use Chrome extension.

In the past, Adblock Plus created an extension for Android users, but Google has removed from the Google Play Store, because the add-on products or services other influences. By not being available in app stores is very difficult to reach mobile users, thereby fail not of existence. Additionally Adblock Plus for Android could only block ads on HTTP. In recent months, developers have therefore been working on its own mobile browser that integrates ad blocking.

Today is the first beta version of the browser released. The browser is open source and based on Firefox. The reason is that the Adblock Plus developers Mozilla as a project and as a company really admire. "Firefox for Android is a great mobile browser," so they claim. Most users would not know it, but the browser supports numerous extensions, including Adblock Plus. "Unlike Firefox on the desktop, we are very limited when it comes to integrating Adblock Plus in the user interface of Firefox for Android."

By developing its own browser have to integrate the developers more freedom to adblocking as basic feature that is both understandable and easy to configure. The developers say that they have big plans for the future. So we look to combine the Adblock browser and desktop browser users in a meaningful way. So far the mobile browser now gets all the attention and Internet recalled that test. According to the website of the Adblock Browser comes soon a version for iOS.

Tails Will Remove Adblock Plus From Privacy OS

The privacy-oriented operating system Tails will remove the ad blocker Adblock Plus from the supplied Tor Browser. According to a message on the mailing list for Tails developers. Tails uses the Tor Browser to access the Internet through the Tor network. By default, while also installed Adblock Plus, which allows users to block ads.

However, the default Tor Browser containing the Tor Project is offered through the website no Adblock Plus, because this could be used as an argument to block Tor users on websites. Another reason for Adblock Plus to remove that Tails users who surf with Tor Browser will respond to other Tor Browser users seem, what the "finger print" of the Tails-users from going.

Users of Tor Browser can be fingerprinted using their operating systems and other tricks. At present Tails is used every day by 10,000 people, while Tor has about 2 million daily users. "Removing Adblock Tails to make more Tor Browser on Windows will improve things seem something in a particular area and other parts not again", states one of the developers. Meanwhile, remove Adblock Plus as a feature set for a future release.

Tails (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) is a complete operating system that can be used from a DVD or USB stick. It is based on Debian and contains various tools to access the Internet anonymously. For example, standard programs like Pidgin chat program, a virtual keyboard, the password manager and KeePassX GnuPG installed, completed with the necessary plug-ins and various encryption tools.