It has been asked many times in the past if using ad-blocking software such as AdBlock is constituted as stealing. After all you’re basically preventing ads from being displayed, which in the case of most websites acts as their main source of revenue. It’s like getting onto the bus without paying your fare.That being said for those who are in favor of ad-blocking software, you might be pleased to learn that at least over in Germany, the German courts have officially ruled that using ad-blocking software is completely legal. So for those who are still wondering if ad-blocking software is still in the grey area of being legal/illegal, at the very least the German courts now have an official ruling.
This came about after the courts ruled in the case between a bunch of German newspapers who took AdBlock to court, claiming that the browser plugin was an anti-competitive product that had threatened their business. According to AdBlock, “The Hamburg court decision is an important one because it sets a precedent that may help us avoid additional lawsuits and expenses defending what we feel is an obvious consumer right: giving people the ability to control their own screens by letting them block annoying ads and protect their privacy.”
However the company has also come under fire for its whitelist in which companies such as Google and Microsoft have reportedly paid them money to allow their ads to come through.