Why doesn't ad block actually block ads?

[cl007]

cl007 last edited by

Starting to wonder if the opera ad block is like that corrupt ad-block plus (where companies could buy their way past their ad block). B/c many, many times on various websites I've seen ads when using the latest opera mobile. Meanwhile Firefox for android blocks 100% of the ads.

[leocg]

leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by

Ad blocking is not a 'exact science' so it's not that simple to block ads. It usually relies on lists that need to be updated kinda often and probably will always be a step behind of ad providers.

[cl007]

cl007 last edited by

Unlock is pretty darn good. Opera in comparison is just awful. (And yes the checkbox is checked)

[nerv2]

nerv2 last edited by

Adfilter doesn't work properly anymore, I see more ads too.

[cl007]

cl007 last edited by

The simple thing would be to allow extensions from opera desktop to be used on opers mobile. Then we could use 3rd party adblock. They're both chrome-based, so not sure why desktop allows extensions/addons/whatever, and opera mobile does not

[emniss]

emniss last edited by admin

I have the same problem with Opera for Android but NOT with Opera mini:

http://forums.opera.com/topic/18743/ad-blocking-data-savings-doesn-t-work-anymore/1

As I understand correctly, Opera for Android / Mini removes ads through their servers (like a proxy which dumps ads instead to deliver them to the client) and not on the phone itself?! For example Opera for Android redirects all traffic over IP 141.0.12.144 (ad blocking issue) and Opera Mini over IP 141.0.14.40 (no ad blocking issue). So it might be possible that the blocking lists on the Opera servers are broken, maybe misconfigured or something else went wrong on their servers?! Is there an Opera employee who could check if the data compress / ad blocking servers work as they should? First I thought it was my fault, but I read through the forums and there are some people with the same problem!

[cl007]

cl007 last edited by

Strange. I just tested both opera AND mini, and both are showing ads. Really disappointed in opera. It is the browser I wish I could like, but constantly falls short.

Not related to ads but I wish they'd just merge both mini and 'regular' mobile versions. Mini has a handful of useful features absent from regular opera, but the ui is different in mini.

If not merge, then at the very least incorporate all those features found in mini into regular opera mobile

Edit: opera mini doesn't show ads from all the same sites as regular opera, but take yahoo mail mobile site for example. Ads show up in the top of both regular and mini

[nerv2]

nerv2 last edited by

The simple thing would be to allow extensions from opera desktop to be used on opers mobile. Then we could use 3rd party adblock. They're both chrome-based, so not sure why desktop allows extensions/addons/whatever, and opera mobile does not

Yes, porting the desktop version of Opera on Android it's easy-breezy. They have some clues how it works and they hired some new Mechs toiling over in 3 shifts 24/7 to raise this feature on. I've heard that to work harder and faster they're listening Daft Punk and 'are praying to their Neon God to stop the mind's noise in attempt to discover the forth "minky".

[fannybaws]

fannybaws last edited by

The simple thing would be to allow extensions from opera desktop to be used on opers mobile. Then we could use 3rd party adblock. They're both chrome-based, so not sure why desktop allows extensions/addons/whatever, and opera mobile does not

Yes, porting the desktop version of Opera on Android it's easy-breezy. They have some clues how it works and they hired some new Mechs toiling over in 3 shifts 24/7 to raise this feature on. I've heard that to work harder and faster they're listening Daft Punk and 'are praying to their Neon God to stop the mind's noise in attempt to discover the forth "minky".

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I can't see where @cl007 said anything about "porting the desktop version of Opera on Android..."?

Actually, @cl007's hypothesis is pretty much correct, as I have extensions loaded on a browser built from opera dev source.

I have the duckduckgo extension, and a chromium Sample Context Menus API extension loaded, and working.

The majority of Chrome extensions are cross platform, so the "desktop version of Opera on Android...?" statement has no substance.

From my browser:

chrome://flags

Extensions on browser:// URLs Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS, Android
Enables running extensions on browser:// URLs, where extensions explicitly request this permission. #extensions-on-chrome-urls

So why "flame" the suggestion that Opera for Android could run Opera extensions, when it can?
Nice.

[gicmarkets]

gicmarkets last edited by

Opera is still a popular mobile browser among the users. It should add latest technology on this service. Ads block can be great features for the browser. users will feel comfort when ads block would be installed during using any website.

[leocg]

leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by

Ads block can be great features for the browser

Opera already has an ad-blocker.

[A Former User]

A Former User last edited by

Ads block can be great features for the browser

Opera already has an ad-blocker.

but opera's built in ad blocker does not block ads so I am waiting when you improve it!

[Deleted User]

Deleted User last edited by

i'm with @emniss on this issue.

the adblocking for mini and o4a happens on the opera servers before trafficking to the user. the filter lists they use are there therefor not selectable or editable by the end user, unlike ublock origin (or others) in firefox/icecat or other fullsize standalone android browsers.
works good enough for me, thank you very much.
maybe we'll get a selection of add-ons for o4a in non-data-saving mode sometime, making it even bigger, slower and more complicated for the average end-user simpleton.

[cl007]

cl007 last edited by

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I can't see where @cl007 said anything about "porting the desktop version of Opera on Android..."?
Actually, @cl007's hypothesis is pretty much correct, as I have extensions loaded on a browser built from opera dev source.
I have the duckduckgo extension, and a chromium Sample Context Menus API extension loaded, and working.
The majority of Chrome extensions are cross platform, so the "desktop version of Opera on Android...?" statement has no substance.
From my browser:
chrome://flags
Extensions on browser:// URLs Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS, Android
Enables running extensions on browser:// URLs, where extensions explicitly request this permission. #extensions-on-chrome-urls
So why "flame" the suggestion that Opera for Android could run Opera extensions, when it can?
Nice.

Thank you. I am glad someone understood what I was trying to say

[A Former User]

A Former User last edited by

I guess Opera is using hosts blocking which will be difficult to block some hardcoded ads

[A Former User]

A Former User last edited by

The ads that are coming through are mostly google ads. I guess they struck a deal with google not to block their ads, in exchange for being allowed to remain in play store. Would be nice to get an official statement on this, but I'm not holding my breath. Opera's communication is terrible.

[leocg]

leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by

Would be nice to get an official statement on this

I don't see any reasons for this. If you read their blogs, you will see that they mention that a few sites are white-listed.

[A Former User]

A Former User last edited by

Edit:
I checked all available opera android blogs concerning data savings and ad-blocking. None of them states which ads go through. Opera only talks about blocking ads to save our data, but it generally implies that all ads get blocked. Link me to a blog that says otherwise, I would be interested.

Also I believe you don't understand how ad providers work nowadays leocg. I'm pretty sure sites aren't whitelisted, but ad-services are and therefore all sites who use a whitelisted ad-service (like google ads), don't have the ads removed.

[leocg]

leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by

I checked all available opera android blogs concerning data savings and ad-blocking. None of them states which ads go through

It's not in an Opera Mobile blog: http://www.opera.com/blogs/news/2016/05/time-take-stand-ad-blockers/

"Opera currently only features a very small whitelist of websites(...)"

'm pretty sure sites aren't whitelisted

In Opera for desktops you can see the list of white-listed sites. There are four or five, with Google and Facebook among them.

[A Former User]

A Former User last edited by

Yeah, some sites are whitelisted they say, but it isn't true. They whitelist specific ad-providers, not specific sites. Or why is it that I find google ads on every site I visit? Are you telling me all these sites are whitelisted? Then it wouldn't be a few whitelisted sites, but thousands of websites. The article states it wrong, I'm sorry but you are clearly mistaken.

The sad thing is that google ads on android are intrusive. They hinder the view, and for example on XDA they appear after every second post. Not only that, but there is also a google ad coming in via a slider on bottom of screen. Then there is another kind of google ad on bottom of screen sometimes, which you can close, but instead of it a google message is shown then.

We need better ad block in Opera. It's simply not good enough. I would like to forego rooting my phone again, but if I want to use Opera I simply have to. The other solution would be to run Firefox, they have working extensions.