Microsoft Edge Browser to Support Ad-Blocking Features

Microsoft plans to offer Windows 10 users the ability to block ads in Microsoft Edge. Talking about Microsoft Edge, at its developer conference Build 2016, the Redmond, Washington-based company unveiled the features roadmap it has set for its new Web browser.

According to a session titled "Microsoft Edge: What's Next for Microsoft's New Browser and Web Platform", held on stage on the first day of Build 2016, the company plans to "build ad blocking features into the browser" with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update later this year - also known as Windows 10 Redstone. While its wording might imply a built-in ad-blocking features, the company later clarified it was "not building a native ad blocker within MS Edge", but instead that it will "support third party ad blockers like AdBlock and AdBlock Plus."

Microsoft says ad-blocking is a feature request from users. Other such requests include support for extensions, which to no one's surprise is on the top of the list. Support for extensions, or "modern extension/plugin model and extension/plugin store for Edge" as Microsoft describes it, will also be available to regular Windows 10 users with the Anniversary Update, which is expected to rollout around June or July.

Speaking of extensions, Microsoft recently enabled this feature in a preview build of Windows 10 for Insiders. As of now, there aren't many extensions available to play with. 

This is the first time Microsoft has confirmed that it will be adding ad-blocking capability to its Web browser. While such tools have existed for over a decade, it was only a few months ago that the controversies surrounding this tool was at the spotlight. Apple last year introduced this capability in iOS 9. Since then we have also seen Samsung allowing ad-blocking on its Internet browser on Galaxy smartphones.

According to estimates, ad-blocking tools are costing advertisers, and by extension, publishers, million of dollars every year.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly mentioned that Microsoft will build in native ad-blocking support into the Edge browser, based on its presentation at the Build 2016 conference. The company however later clarified that it would not enable ad-blocking features by default, but support them via extensions.