#ChromeZeroTolerance
In a major escalation of its battle for web user trust, Google has declared war on a long-abused tactic that has plagued online browsing for years: back button hijacking. Starting in June, the tech behemoth will begin penalizing websites that employ this shady practice, where a click on the browser's back button is deliberately hindered or redirected by the site's code.
Industry insiders expect a marked decrease in the incidence of "back button jacking" as websites scramble to comply with Google's new rules. However, a closer examination of the complex web of incentives and disincentives driving online behavior raises provocative questions about the ultimate impact of this move.
One high-stakes prediction is that Google's latest move will significantly boost the influence of ad-blocking extensions and other browser add-ons that target manipulative site behavior. As reputable sites shed their most egregious practices to avoid Chrome's new vetting process, the market gap will grow for alternative, ad-free browsing experiences. This convergence of Google's Chrome Zero Tolerance and the burgeoning ad-blocking sector is poised to shake the foundations of the modern internet advertising business.
