America Online (AOL) has introduced controls that will allow its users to eliminate pop-up ads while surfing the Web, as part
of the company's efforts to heed user demands and strengthen its place in the market.
The new controls, announced Wednesday, allow users of AOL 8.0 to choose whether or not they want to allow pop-ups by clicking
an icon in their browser window. The controls also allow users to check which sites have attempted to send them pop-up ads
and keep a running tally of the number of pop-ups blocked in each online session.
"This was released because our users said they wanted it," said AOL spokesman Andrew Weinstein.
Indeed, AOL has been working hard to appease users lately at it faces mounting competition and slowed subscriber growth. Rival
EarthLink also recently announced that it was blocking pop-ups.
However, Weinstein called AOL's pop-up controls more "nuanced" than some competitors, given that users can choose whether
they want to accept pop-ups from some sites. Additionally, it allows pop-ups from secure sites, which often have them as a
function of their e-commerce check-outs, Weinstein said.
AOL said that it plans to deliver the controls to members automatically over the next two weeks, or they can get them immediately
via download by typing in "Pop-Up Controls" under AOL Keyword.
The Dulles, Va., ISP (Internet access provider) said last October when it launched AOL 8.0 that it would no longer accept
third-party pop-up ads. The move this week comes as a continuation of that effort, the company said, as well as part of a
campaign to respond to users' top complaints.
Last month, the ISP also said that it was stepping up its efforts to fight spam, which was another top concern for its over
35 million members.
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