Ads chew through half of mobile data

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Site bloat and data usage

  • Many note the irony that the article complaining about ads is itself extremely heavy: tens of MB transferred for a few kilobytes of text, with numerous ad slots and trackers.
  • Some estimate that, at this rate, modest data plans would only support reading a handful of such pages per month.
  • Users report intrusive pop‑ups, product tables, auto‑playing media, and reflowing layouts that make pages hard to use, especially on mobile.

Negative externalities: cost, environment, usability

  • Ads are framed as a classic negative externality: users pay in bandwidth, battery, time, privacy, and attention, while publishers and adtech capture the revenue.
  • Environmental impact of unnecessary bandwidth is raised; blocking ads is described as a “green” action that also improves security and performance.
  • Others argue this is a minor energy use compared to video streaming and broader consumption, though some push back that environmental mitigation is “a game of pennies.”

Study quality and scope

  • Several commenters note the article is from 2016 and based on an undisclosed sample of eight “popular” news sites and an iPhone 6 profile, questioning its current relevance and rigor.

Ad blocking and technical countermeasures

  • Strong consensus that effective blocking dramatically reduces data and improves usability.
  • Techniques mentioned: browser extensions (uBlock Origin, etc.), DNS blocking (Pi‑hole, AdGuard Home, NextDNS), VPN/WireGuard tunnels to home blockers, ad‑blocking browsers (Brave, Firefox Focus), and OS‑level or app‑level blockers on mobile.
  • Debate over whether this is a sustainable “arms race” or already “good enough” for most users.
  • Some highlight that ad, tracking, and analytics traffic (including video and clever workarounds like filmstrip images) can be large and persistent.

Platforms and browser ecosystems

  • Android: Firefox with uBlock Origin is widely praised; DNS‑based blockers and rooted solutions also used.
  • iOS: content blocker APIs (e.g., AdGuard, Wipr, 1Blocker, Firefox Focus) help but are seen as weaker than full extension support; Safari is criticized for poor UX and broken autoplay controls.
  • Concerns about Chrome/Chromium’s Manifest V3 limiting powerful blockers; hope that Firefox will retain stronger APIs.

Economics and ethics of ads

  • Divided views: some say “the internet as we know it” is funded by ads and people overwhelmingly choose ad‑supported over paid options; others argue most real value comes from ad‑free or user‑funded spaces.
  • Common complaints: tracking, manipulative design, and the fact that subscriptions often don’t actually remove ads.
  • Alternative suggestions include lightweight, contextual text ads, micro‑/nano‑payments per article, or simply using fewer ad‑driven services.

Net neutrality and who pays for ad traffic

  • One line of discussion suggests ISPs should charge ad networks (or zero‑rate ad traffic for users); others warn this conflicts with net neutrality and could worsen ISP power.
  • It’s noted that ISPs and CDNs currently benefit from high traffic volumes and have little incentive to reduce ad bandwidth.