Eyeo acquires Blockthrough

Ad-filtering firm Eyeo has acquired Blockthrough, a Toronto-based firm that works with digital media businesses to recover revenue lost due to ad blocking. Its publisher-side ad-filtering technology detects and prevents ads from being served to users of ad-blocking and ad-filtering products. Simultaneously, Blockthrough ensures that all ads served to such users meet the Acceptable Ads Standard – an independently-governed ad quality standard used by eyeo and leading publishers, which currently boasts 250m monthly active users worldwide.

Eyeo said the acquisition furthers its mission to deliver technologies that place the needs of the user at the centre of the web experience, while at the same time supporting the needs of publishers, advertisers and others across the open web ecosystem.

Earlier in our history, Eyeo was seen as a controversial digital media and marketing disruptor. Adblock Plus, the companys key product, was initially denounced as an impediment to publishers and advertisers,” said Eyeo CEO, Frank Einecke. “Instead, it ended up serving as a wake-up call’ – one that has led to an industry-wide recognition that the web must be a user-first environment in order for all stakeholders to thrive. Blockthroughs technology is in lockstep with this line of thinking, giving consumers an online ad experience they’ve agreed to, while allowing publishers to recoup revenue otherwise lost. This leads to a win-win for publishers, advertisers and users.”