Dive Brief:

• Even though the mobile ad industry has been concerned about ad block tech adoption, research from Tune has found that more than half of U.S. and U.K. smartphone users don’t have an ad block app installed and another fifth aren’t sure if they do or not.
• Separate research from IAB France found that ad block usage in France by all internet users totals 30% with a clear line of higher to lower adoption as the age of the user goes up. The highest rate was for 16-24 at 53%, dropping to 20% for 60 and up.
• IAB France's research also found that in the U.S. and U.K., ad block users were more likely be male (28.6%) than female (22%).

Dive Insight:

Even though Tune’s findings about mobile ad block penetration should offer some relief to marketers and other industry players, the IAB France results showing that younger users are both more aware of ad blocking tech and more likely to use it indicates a troubling trend.

To add to that concern, IAB France found that 30% of all internet users in France are blocking ads. Separate research from earlier this month from Retale found 57% of desktop users reported adopting ad blockers, with that number climbing to 63% for Millennials.

So far the digital ad industry hasn’t found a unified front on ad blockers, with the IAB ranging from admitting some culpability in creating a poor user experience that led to ad block adoption, to calling the technology at war with freedom of expression. Publishers, the group most directly hurt revenue-wise by ad block technology, are taking something of a backseat on the issue. Only 3% of the top 250 North American publishers are taking any action against ad blocking website visitors, according to research from Pressboard. As the debate around ad blocking grows more tense, it's up to the industry as a whole to find ways to address the situation in a way that benefits all concerned parties.