We’ve all seen them, and we’re not impressed—pop-ups – an irritating, bothersome, annoying advertisement that is always unannounced. Pop-ups are little windows that open on your screen, in the foreground, while you’re busy trying to do something else on the Internet. It’s part of a digital marketing strategy designed to divert your attention from whatever you’re working on, or enjoying.
The fact that they appear without your express consent is what makes them so invasive and detested by most of us. A pop-up doesn’t have a specific size, nor does it appear at a particular time. Pop-ups can appear as banners or as full-screen advertisements.
Sometimes they appear in the sidebar of your screen. You may have to click the pop-ups to close them. But not all pop-ups are innocuous – some contain malicious code that can infect your PC, Mac, or smartphone. These annoyances use JavaScript in the HTML of the website.
Many ‘less than savory’ websites are laden with pop-ups, malware, and adware, and if you click them, you’re almost bound to get an infection on your computer. Since the infancy stages of pop-ups, we’ve come a long way when bad actors hijacked them. Today, many pop-ups will not infect your computer; they’ll simply distract you and try and lure you into clicking on a link, view an image, all to drive sales.
How to Avoid Pop-Ups – Failsafe Solutions for Safe Browsing
There are a few ways to avoid pop-ups. One is to install an ad blocker, which will stop most pop-ups from appearing. Another way is to configure your browser not to allow pop-ups. You can also use an extension or add-on for your browser that blocks pop-ups. Or, you can install an app that will block pop-ups on your smartphone.
This is the focus of our attention today. There is a nifty little application known as Poper Blocker (poperblocker.com), and it does precisely what its namesake suggests – it blocks pop-ups and overlays from appearing on your browser. Is all of this overkill? Not at all, and these are the reasons why:
- Risk of Infection: Not all pop-ups are innocuous. Some contain malicious code that can infect your PC, Mac, or phone.
- Risk of Data Theft: Many pop-ups contain trackers that collect valuable data about you. Bad actors can use this data to target you with ads, or even worse; it can be stolen and used by cybercriminals.
- Risk of Privacy Invasion: As mentioned earlier, pop-ups often contain trackers that collect data about you. They can use this data to target you with ads, or worse.
- Risk of Lost Productivity: Pop-ups can be very distracting and cause you to lose focus on what you’re doing. This loss of focus can lead to a loss in productivity. If your company’s computers do not use pop-up blockers, the collective loss of productivity can be substantial. Lost productivity translates into actual losses for you or your company.
Are Pop-up Blockers the Same as Ad Blockers?
While they appear similar, pop-ups and ads are not the same; neither are pop-up blockers nor ad blockers. They are expressly designed for a specific purpose, although there is a degree of overlap. For example, a standard pop-up blocker doesn’t stop on-page advertisements from displaying. Either way, pop-ups, and ad blockers are usually extensions on your browser. You have to download and install them, and they will do the work for you.
For example, ads are much bigger than pop-ups. Ads, unlike pop-ups, take up most of your screen and are more interactive too. You can typically interact with ads by clicking on them. Pop-ups, by contrast, are less intrusive less conspicuous. There are usually much smaller than ads and don’t require any interaction on your part. They will appear on your screen for a while and then disappear. Luckily, you don’t have to deal with either of these when you take decisive action to stop those pop-ups for good!
