Ad blockers are software tools designed to prevent advertisements from being displayed on websites and other online platforms. These tools work by identifying and removing or hiding content that is recognized as an advertisement, which can include banners, pop-ups, video ads, and other forms of promotional material. The primary goal of ad blockers is to enhance the user experience by reducing clutter, speeding up page load times, and protecting users from potentially malicious ads.
Ad blocers can be implemented as browser extensions, standalone applications, or integrated into antivirus software and web browsers. They often use filter lists, which are constantly updated databases of known ad servers and ad elements, to effectively block unwanted content.