Technology that blocks or skips TV ads is becoming ever more controversial and more widely known. And with the recent launch of a Chrome extension, it got personal. No Hulu Ads, which is free, isn’t the first browser extension to black out TV commercials for your viewing pleasure. It isn’t the first to offer notifications letting you know when the blacked-out commercial break is over, pausing the show automatically until you return to that tab. But it is the first to block the warning Hulu has put in place — the one that asks you to disable your ad blocker, and that strongly suggests you might not be able to see the service if you don’t. It’s also the first extension we’ve seen to call out an online TV service by name — one that increasingly relies on ad revenue. (We’ve reached out to Hulu to find out if they intend to take any steps against the programmer.)
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.