Guide

How to Block Ads for Free with Ghostery Tracker & Ad Blocker

Key Points:

Internet users are exposed to thousands of online advertisements every day.
The overwhelming majority of users (over 90%) find online ads annoying.
Ad blockers are one of the best ways to remove annoying ads and pop ups, avoid interference on web pages, and improve your digital privacy.
To blocks ads for free, download the Ghostery ad blocker extension and enable it. That's all you need to do to browse the web without ads, trackers and pop-ups.
The Ghostery Ad Blocker extension is completely free to use and is rated as one of the best ad blockers on the market today.

Download Ghostery Tracker & Ad Blocker

This article contains

‍How to Block Ads Free with Ghostery Tracker & Ad Blocker

If you find online ads and pop ups frustrating, you’re not alone!

‍The experts at Ghostery have put this article together to tell you how to block ads for free and improve your digital privacy and browsing experience.

What is online advertising?

Online advertising is a type of marketing that utilizes digital channels to promote products and services to users via the internet. Some examples of online advertising include:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Video e.g. YouTube ads
Pay-per-Click (PPC)
Social media
Email

The benefits of online advertisements

Online marketing plays an essential role in modern advertising and experts estimate that digital ads will account for over 66% of the total global advertising spend by 2023.

‍Companies can use online advertisements like video ads and pop ups to build brand awareness and increase sales revenue. Digital marketing is also a cost-effective way for businesses to reach their target audience and expand globally.

What is the problem with online ads?

Digital marketing statistics reveal that the average person sees between 4,000 and 10,000 ads per day - up from 500-1,600 in the 1970s. Online advertisements have become increasingly frustrating to internet users, with 91% of people reporting ads and pop ups as more intrusive than 2-3 years ago.

Can I block ads free? How about pop ups?

More and more people are using ad blocking extensions to remove annoying ads and popups. In fact, almost 43% of global internet users use ad blocking tools at least once a month.

Are ad blockers free?

‍There is a wide variety of free ad blockers available today that can block advertisements and enhance your browsing experience.

Ad blocking software removes intrusive ads and other marketing materials from web pages. Most popular browsers like Google Chrome have it built-in, but the majority of ads still get through even when the tool is turned on.

‍You can improve your digital privacy and remove more pop ups from your browser by downloading an ad blocking browsing extension like Ghostery. These ad blocker free tools allow you to browse the web without experiencing intrusive ads and pop ups.

Benefits of using our free ad blocker

Here are some of the main benefits of using a free ad and pop up blocker:

Eliminate intrusive ads, annoying pop ups, trackers and other visual distractions.
Remove clutter from web pages and enjoy a faster, more secure browsing experience.
Protect your personal data and improve your online privacy.

How do ad blockers work?

They are usually ad blocking browser extensions and use blocklists to filter web content and block requests or hide unwanted ads and pop ups.

‍While web pages are loading, the ad blocking software checks the site and its scripts against its blocklist. If anything is identified as advertising material, the ad blocker will stop it from loading. Most ad blocking extensions are highly effective at blocking ads and will remove marketing content from every part of your browser.

‍Suggested reading: If you want to learn more about how ad blocking browsing extensions work, check out our blog on What is the best ad blocker?

Do free ad blocker extensions remove all ads?

No pop up blocker can remove 100% of online ads. How many ads you see when browsing the internet will depend on the ad blocker you use, as some browsing extensions remove more advertising materials than others.

‍For example, Adblock Plus has an acceptable ads program that classifies certain marketing material as ‘acceptable ads’ which means they have not been identified as intrusive. Acceptable ads must comply with standards set out in the acceptable ads program.

‍All other ad blockers, including the Ghostery Tracker & Ad Blocker, use community lists to block ads free.

‍Suggested reading: Visit acceptableads.com if you want to learn more about acceptable ads and the acceptable ads program.

Can I download multiple ad blockers?

You should avoid downloading multiple ad blocking browser extensions as they may interfere with each other’s functionality and cause issues such as slow page loading speed. A good ad blocker should remove ads and pop ups effectively without disrupting your browsing experience.

‍Consider the options carefully and choose the best ad blocker for your needs.

Is an ad blocker the same as a pop-up blocker?

Tools blocking ads and pop ups are different and not all ad blocking browser extensions will also remove pop ups. A pop up blocker may also not prevent on-page advertisements that appear online.

‍Many popular ad blockers have pop up blocking capabilities and the best ad blockers also remove pop ups from your browser. Ghostery’s new feature Never Consent selects optimal privacy settings automatically which prevents intrusive cookie consent pop-ups. It also sends important messages to website owners telling them that you don’t want to be tracked.

Is an ad blocker extension better than a privacy browser?

An ad blocker extension and a privacy browser are different tools that can work together to improve digital privacy and browser experience. A private browser keeps your browsing history, passwords, and other online activity private from others when using a shared device. Private browsing can also protect you from web tracking.

‍The Ghostery Privacy Browser has an ad and tracker blocker built-in to enhance your online privacy and create a more secure and anonymous web browsing experience.

‍Suggested reading: If you want to find out more about private browsing and its benefits, check out our recent blog What is a Private Browser?

Are free ad blockers safe to use?

They are highly effective at blocking ads and removing visual distractions like banner ads from web pages.

However, there are some dangers to be aware of when downloading a free blocker. Unfortunately, malicious browser extensions can have very similar names to legitimate ad blockers. This is why you must do your research and choose a reputable free ad blocker with plenty of users and positive reviews.

What is the link between ads and online tracking?

Web ads contain trackers that collect data about your browsing behavior including the pages you visit, the purchases you make, etc. This information is used to build a user profile and can be used to harm you or sold to third parties for profit.

‍A tool like Ghostery that combines ad and tracker blocking is ideal if you want to prevent tracking and protect your personal data when browsing the web.

What is the best free ad blocker?

The Ghostery Tracker & Ad Blocker is a free browser extension that utilizes AI technology to remove annoying ads and prevent online tracking techniques.

‍Ghostery is consistently rated as one of the best free ad blocking tools on the market today. See what tech media and users are saying about Ghostery Ad Blocker…

‍‍“Ghostery is a great free popup blocker to block ads. It stands out with its ability to stop trackers and keep your data as safe as ever. Their mobile browsers allow you to browse the internet safer than ever before on your smartphone as well.” - Software Testing Help

‍“Ghostery is designed to make you invisible to advertisers as you search the web, without slowing down your browser, and comes with a suite of privacy tools designed to anonymise your presence online. Ghostery takes things several steps further, allowing those who care about online privacy to dig deeper into useful analytics.” - Independent

Features of the best ad blocker

The best free ad blockers should be:

Fast: Popular ad blockers will remove intrusive advertising content without slowing down your browser or impacting your user experience. Look for a fast and efficient ad blocker that will remove annoying ads while minimizing breakage.
Secure: A good free ad blocker will improve your online privacy and keep your personal data secure. Make sure you download a reputable free ad blocker that is highly rated and has lots of positive customer reviews.
Free: Many of the best ad blockers on the market today are completely free to use, so there is no need to pay for expensive ad blocking software.

Ghostery: The ultimate free ad blocker

In a nutshell, Ghostery Ad & Tracker Blocker:

Blocks annoying advertising content on websites and non-private search engines
Blocks intrusive cookie consent pop ups - learn more about our new feature Never-Consent here
Blocks trackers on websites and non-private search engines
Prevents private data from leaving your browser
Prevents online profiling

‍Ghostery was created to educate internet users about digital privacy and build a strong community around our products and activities.

‍That is why our core functions are completely free to use - and always will be! We believe that everyone should have access to the tools needed to regain power over their privacy online.

Join us on our mission and become a Contributor to Ghostery!

Users can now become contributors and join Ghostery on its mission to create a web where privacy is a basic human right! Together, we can drive innovation in privacy and create a more private browsing experience for millions around the world.

Learn more about our mission here!

How to block ads free using Ghostery

The Ghostery Ad Blocking tools couldn’t be easier to use! You simply download the browser extension in your preferred browser and the ad blocking software will start removing annoying ads and pop ups immediately. Our browser extension also comes with complementary anti-tracking AI-driven technology to further improve your digital privacy and browsing experience.

Check out the blogs below for details on how Ghostery Ad & Tracker Blocker can be used to prevent online advertisements on Google Chrome, Safari, and YouTube.

‍TIP: Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like help downloading and using the Ghostery Ad Blocker. We are always happy to help!

Can I download Ghostery’s free Tracker & Ad Blocker on any browser to block ads?

The Ghostery Ad Blocker extension is compatible with all major browsers and devices including Google Chrome and Firefox. Alternatively, you can download the free Ghostery Private Browser with built-in private search if you want optimal data protection.

Ghostery is a complete privacy suite

Ghostery is much more than just an ad blocker removing annoying ads. It is a complete privacy suite with several applications that work together to ensure optimal privacy protection.

Privacy Browser

As mentioned above, the Ghostery Privacy Browser keeps your browsing hidden and doesn’t track your online activity. It is part of the complete Ghostery Privacy Suite and comes with built-in private search and built-in tracker and ad blocking capabilities.

Private Search

Ghostery Private Search is a private search engine that does not log your search history, which means you get served objective results. It also provides insights about trackers on web pages before you visit them to improve transparency when using the web.

‍Suggested reading: If you want to find out more about online tracking, check out our blog: What is Web Tracking and How Can I Browse Safely?

Tracker Analytics

Ghostery Tracker Analytics provides useful insights about internet trackers on web pages to improve transparency and raise awareness about data tracking.

Privacy Digest

Ghostery Privacy Digest delivers the latest digital privacy news and tips straight to your inbox every two weeks. The Privacy Digest newsletters will help you feel more secure online and maintain good digital health.

‍Take a sneak peek at our previous editions and sign up for free here.

Download Ghostery and take control of your digital privacy today!

Ad and tracker blockers are powerful tools that remove unwanted ads and popups to improve your browsing experience and digital health. A good free ad blocker will also protect your online privacy by preventing tracking techniques and keeping your browsing activities hidden.

Ghostery is rated as one of the best free adblockers on the market today. Our complete privacy suite utilizes AI technology to block intrusive ads, prevent tracking, and much more. Download Ghostery today if you want to take control of your digital privacy.