The Malicious Marketing
Not all advertisements are created equal. While most websites rely on standard, passive banner ads, some malicious websites deploy highly aggressive, “Intrusive Ads.” These include fake system error messages, invisible click-jacking overlays, and auto-playing videos with the volume set to maximum. Google Chrome actually maintains a massive, constantly updated blacklist of websites known to deploy these specific types of misleading and abusive advertising tactics. While Chrome enables some protection by default, you can force the browser to act as a hyper-aggressive ad blocker specifically against these blacklisted domains.
How to Block Intrusive Ads Globally
You can permanently lock down the browser’s rendering engine against abusive marketing via the Site Settings.
- Open the Google Chrome desktop browser.
- Click the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top right corner and select Settings.
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Privacy and security.
- In the main window, click on Site settings.
- Scroll down to the bottom and click to expand Additional content settings.
- Click on Intrusive ads.
- Under the “Default behavior” heading, select the radio button for “Block ads on sites that show intrusive or misleading ads.”
A Sanitized Web
The change takes effect instantly. Google Chrome will completely alter its rendering protocol. If you navigate to a website that is actively listed on Google’s abusive advertising blacklist, the browser will violently strip every single advertisement, popup, and tracking script from the page before it even renders on your screen. The website will load completely sanitized, protecting you from fake download buttons and malicious overlays.