Chrome update kills unwanted ad redir... WIN A FREE iPad!!

Chrome will begin blocking some redirect links in an effort to crack down on particularly annoying web ads.

Google says that, starting with the Chrome 64 build, its browser will no longer automatically execute redirect links that are embedded in iframe code. This, the Chocolate Factory hopes, will help stop ads that redirect traffic to third-party sites.

Now, Google says, third-party redirects will be shown in an infobar on the page, requiring the user to manually click the ad.

"One piece of feedback we regularly hear from users is that a page will unexpectedly navigate to a new page, for seemingly no reason," Google said in announcing the feature today.

"We've found that this redirect often comes from third-party content embedded in the page, and the page author didn't intend the redirect to happen at all."

Additionally, Google says it will also begin preventing pages from redirecting after the user opens links in new tabs. In such a scenario, a user clicks a link to launch a new tab, only to find the page they were just on has turned into an advertisement.

Google says such behavior is an effort to load 'pop up' ads on browsers that would otherwise block such advertisements. Starting in Chrome build 65, those redirects will also require the user to click on the link in an infobar before being redirected.

Starting in January, Chrome builds will also be blocking ads that try to hide links under 'play' or 'close' buttons. Those ads, often served as pop-ups, use what look to be buttons that would close the unwanted ad to instead redirect users to a third-party website.

In addition to the new Chrome features, Google says it is opening an 'Abuse Experiences Report' console that will let site owners see when the newly-blocked ads were served to their sites and remove an ads Google has deemed abusive.

The report will required viewing for admins that want their sites to function properly for Chrome users (around 60 per cent of desktops). Any site that doesn't remove the 'abusive' content within 30 days will have all new tab and window links disabled in Chrome. ®