An interesting approach to a currently pretty-thorny problem. Here's how the team describes ourdata:
Ourdata is an excellent, elegant ad blocker for Chrome and iOS. Ourdata is a consumer data union that wants to redirect the hundreds of millions being paid to the largest ad blockers by Google, Taboola etc. to the users instead. Publishers struggling to monetize their content use Ourdata to get readers to unblock. Users use Ourdata to monetize their data and attention. Google et al can use Ourdata to ward off the existential threat of blockchain technology.
First, big thanks to @chrismessina for hunting us. We are thrilled to be here.
My co-founders and I strongly believe the time has come for a consumer data union.
Ourdata addresses adblocking in a new, socially responsible way that has the potential to short-circuit the ads arms race. Functionally the product is an adblocker but there is one big twist: instead of extorting ad networks for payoffs and keeping the loot, we pay that money out to users who opt in to see ads- giving them a choice: monetize their data or block ads.
If users opt to see ads, they get paid. If not, that's ok too. It is not a life changing amount of money (~$100/year) unless you live in sub-Saharan Africa or other developing nations where it could make a huge difference.
For those interested, there is a simple donate option.
Good work for a good cause.
Google, Microsoft, Amazon and others are making incredible profits on the browsing data we all give away for free. Traditional ad blockers are extracting hundreds of millions of dollars to allow ads and data to flow to and from their users. Those ad blockers are keeping that money for themselves. At Ourdata, we pledge to pay at least 90% back to our users.
The ad blocker is based on uBlock origin and is an effective and easy to use ad blocker.
Our team is available to answer any questions you have and we welcome your feedback!!
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Doesn't appear to work so well on iOS Safari. My test for these is always www.politico.com because their stories have a bunch of easily-recognizable ads. I get ads with OurData and no ads on the same page with others after multiple tests.
@andym_dc Thanks for the feedback. I just tried it and didn't get ads. I assume you turned content blocking on in settings in Safari. Perhaps closing out Safari by swiping up and retrying might work.
I've been using it for the past week and it's great. It blocks ads just as effectively as my other ad blocker, and by using it I'm helping to shift how consumer data is handled. Great all around!
@gillesdc Thanks! Our charity option is in keeping with our mission as a for public benefit corporation. Like Etsy and Patagonia, incorporating as a PBC allowed us to put the interests of our community (and society) before the interests of our shareholders. Supporting non-profits is part of this mission.
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Great team that has a genuine interest in solving this problem!
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