Celebrating AdBlock’s 2022 Milestones

With 2022 quickly coming to a close, it’s a good time to reflect on all the work the AdBlock team has done this year. We are particularly proud of this year’s accomplishments and excited to share this round up with you.

Of course, we also want to take this opportunity to thank our community of users. It’s because of you that we’re able to deliver on our mission of creating a distraction-free and worry-free internet experience for everyone. We know that we wouldn’t be AdBlock without your support!

Now let’s take a look at our 2022 milestones.

Launched AdBlock VPN

Earlier this year, we excitedly announced the official launch of AdBlock VPN. We built AdBlock VPN with simplicity and privacy in mind, so that anyone, regardless of technical prowess, can explore the benefits of using a VPN without feeling overwhelmed. Plus, we made it affordable to boot.

And if you’re wondering what a VPN is, it’s a great tool for increasing your online security while you browse the web. VPNs (also called virtual private networks) allow you to connect to the internet privately. They create an encrypted connection, often referred to as a ‘tunnel,’ between your devices and the VPN servers. All of your internet traffic is routed through that secure tunnel, keeping your data encrypted and your personal information secure. This keeps your data safe from third party snoops and hackers.

With AdBlock VPN, you can:

• Browse the web anonymously. Your web traffic is routed through AdBlock VPN servers and each time you connect, your IP address is replaced with a new address from AdBlock VPN’s network of virtual locations, allowing you to hide your online identity.
• Access unblocked content. Need access to a website or content that’s blocked by location? Our VPN allows you to connect to the internet through different servers all over the world. This may allow you to avoid censorship in some regions, and access the content you want from wherever you are.
• Connect safely to public Wi-Fi. AdBlock VPN helps reduce the vulnerability associated with connecting to a public Wi-Fi hotspot by creating an encrypted connection between your device and the web, making it more difficult for anyone to track or monitor you without your consent.
• Connect up to six devices. Use up to six devices with AdBlock VPN, including Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS devices. The AdBlock VPN interface makes it easy to connect, manage, and remove your devices.

Evolved AdBlock for the Future

This year, the AdBlock team spent a lot of time working so that our extension can continue to exist as the internet itself evolves. Currently, we’re on the cusp of a large change for browser extensions. Called Manifest V3 — the name refers to a new version of Google’s browser extension platform — this evolution of the browser ecosystem will change how all browser extensions work. As a result, we’ve spent thousands of hours making the necessary updates to AdBlock that will allow us to continue to block ads across the web.

Improved Ad Blocking and Fixed Bugs

Throughout this year we addressed bug fixes and improved our users’ ad blocking experience. We fixed several issues to create a smoother experience for our users when interacting with the AdBlock menu. And we updated the filter lists that you’re subscribed to by default to be more relevant and helpful. We also fixed an error that caused a lag on certain websites, particularly on YouTube, along with issues closing the element hiding wizard and other dialogue modals. Of course, we couldn’t have done this work without those users who report bugs to us. Thanks to everyone who helped us catch these!

Looking Toward 2023

We’ll always be working to iterate and improve the AdBlock extension, and we remain dedicated to providing everyone with a distraction-free and worry-free internet experience. We plan on bringing even more value to our products in 2023!

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s to come next year:

• New cookie filter list: In the near future, you’ll be able to put an end to those annoying cookie consent banners used on most websites thanks to a new cookie blocking feature we’re finishing up. This feature will be an improved version of what we’ve previously offered in our extension, allowing us to block even more cookie notices as we bring this filter list in house.
• An updated AdBlock for Safari: We know that AdBlock for Safari has gone mostly untouched by our team for a few years. And that’s all about to change! The new and improved AdBlock for Safari will be a totally revamped version of the app. It’ll include a more modern and easy to use interface, dark mode, an integration with AdBlock VPN, and custom block and allow lists as a part of basic ad blocking.

Stay tuned as we share more features and products with our awesome community of users in 2023! And as always, we’d love for you to share your ideas and feedback on our public product board along the way.

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