Google Chrome users will be getting a big update soon that brings with it a game changing new feature.
Google Chrome is without a doubt the most popular internet browser in the world right now.
NetMarketShare stats for the whole of last year show Google Chrome as having a staggering 58.90 per cent chunk of the internet browser marketplace.
Its nearest rival, Mozilla’s FireFox, has a 13.29 per cent share while Internet Explorer is on 13 per cent.
Microsoft’s newer Edge browser, which is bundled in with Windows 10, lags behind with a 3.78 per cent market share.
These stats underline how Chrome’s crown as the world’s most popular internet browser is undisputed.
And fans of Google Chrome will be getting a highly anticipated new feature in an upcoming update.
On February 15 Google Chrome users will be able to download a new update which brings with it the long-awaited built-in ad blocking feature.
The upcoming Google Chrome feature won’t block every advert, but will block ones that are deemed unacceptable.
The group that decides this is known as the Coalition for Better Ads, which includes Google, Facebook, News Corp, and The Washington Post.
This includes things such as pop-up adverts, ads that expand on their own and adverts with autoplaying sound and video.
Describing the upcoming feature, Google said: “Chrome has always focused on giving you the best possible experience browsing the web.
“For example, it prevents pop-ups in new tabs based on the fact that they are annoying.
“In dialogue with the Coalition and other industry groups, we plan to have Chrome stop showing ads (including those owned or served by Google) on websites that are not compliant with the Better Ads Standards starting in early 2018.”
One set of websites that have been left fearing for their future in light of the upcoming Google Chrome ad-blocker is torrent sites.
Chrome is the world’s most popular browser, and the leading browser for many torrent websites.
The upcoming ad blocker is expected to have a big effect on torrent sites and the revenue they bring in.
The owner of one torrent site, who did not want to be named, previously told TorrentFreak that the Google Chrome ad blocker could signal the end of torrents.
They said: “The torrent site economy is in a bad state. Profits are very low. Profits are f***** compared to previous years.
“Chrome’s ad-blocker will kill torrent sites. If they don’t at least cover their costs, no one is going to use money out of his pocket to keep them alive.
“I won’t be able to do so at least.”
The release of the Google Chrome ad blocker is following hot on the heels of the launch of Chrome 64.
This build, launched towards the end of January, brought with it a stronger pop-up blocker that protect users from being redirected towards unwanted content.