An ad blocker, created to protect users from ads, opens door instead

New York

ADBLOCK Plus, an ad blocker now used on more than 100 million devices, started out as an almost utopian idea a decade ago. Wladimir Palant, a 20-something developer who was annoyed with intrusive ads online, created it as an open-source project and quickly built it up with the help of volunteers who also wanted to make the Internet faster, less cluttered and safer from malware.

Mr Palant wanted publishers to make ads that did not "degrade" Internet users with interruption and animation, he wrote on his blog in 2007. As Adblock Plus surged in popularity, he was able to turn it into a full-time job, increasing its staff to three employees in 2011 and housing it under a company named Eyeo GmbH in Germany. Its motto: "We want to make the Internet better for everyone. Purging bad ads is a good start."