Over the past couple of months, the practice of ad blocking has received heightened ethical scrutiny. (1,2,3,4) If you’re unfamiliar with the term, “ad blocking” refers to software—usually web browser plug-ins, but increasingly mobile apps—that stop most ads from appearing when you use websites or apps that would otherwise show them. Arguments against ad blocking
Maladvertising and scams just make that a surefire thing, especially since there’s a chance that just loading an ad could infect your machine.
And for less tech-savvy family members, it cuts down on the risk of them falling for scams or suchlike.