Age, Gender Are Factors in Ad Blocking
Male smartphone owners in the UK and US are more likely to install ad blocking apps
March 22, 2016
Two March 2016 reports shine a light on opinions both in the US and abroad about ad blockers. The reports, from Tune as well as Interactive Advertising Bureau France (IAB France), show that in the UK and US, about a quarter of smartphone users have installed an ad blocking app on their device, while in France, about 30% of all internet users use ad blockers (not necessarily on mobile).
In both the UK and US, about one in five of those surveyed weren’t sure if they had installed an ad blocker on their smartphone, while over half confirmed they hadn’t. For smartphones, ad blocking is not yet of great importance.
In France, meanwhile, ad blocker preference ranges widely according to age, which might not be surprising.
For example, 53% of internet users in France ages 16 to 24 use an ad blocker, and nearly 80% are aware of ad blockers; about half of those ages 35 to 49, on the other hand, are aware of ad blockers, while just 28% use them.
As for why internet users in France employ ad blockers in the first place, 85% cited the desire for uninterrupted navigation, while 82% want to block undesired intrusions. Only 25% pointed to online research as to why they installed an ad blocker.
In the UK and US, smartphone owners are more likely to install an ad blocker if they are male (28.6%) than female (22.0%). Males are also less likely not to know if they have installed an ad blocker.