Because there's still the privacy problem that many don't fully understand.

That's why Mozilla's approach is tracking protection which also happens to block annoying ads.

But yes, if the concern is only bringing in line what people "feel" with the product you want to sell, then Google's strategy makes perfect sense.

I would be surprised if the chrome ad blocker will block Ads for Google's own properties like Youtube, and while most ads probably adhere to the advertising standards they have still be caught accidentally serving crypto-mining ads (https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/01/now-e...).

So to me it's bad because it's opening up people's computers to exploitation that even Google can't control.

Because those people are still being manipulated into making less than optimal choices. Ads are just there to make society worse.

They're doing it, not to block ads, but to make sure ads reach you. So the question gets philosophical in a hurry. What is the "goodness" of an otherwise generous act done for self-serving reasons?

Is it good or bad to write a check to an orphanage for the publicity?

Is it good or bad to save someone's life because they owe you money?

Is it good or bad to block certain ads to make sure other ads still reach you?

> Is it good or bad to block certain ads to make sure other ads still reach you?

If there is a growing product that works better, and fully blocks ads and your goal is only to quickly take over the market and do a worse job then I say 'no' that's not being altruistic...

If they put up a big banner saying "only works half as well at blocking ads as the competition" then maybe it's a little better.

It may not be good, but it's not being done on the pretence of being good. The question is, how is it bad?