Opera to add native ad blocker to desktop web browser

Need for speed? Opera's web browser will come with a built-in speedometer

Opera Software - currently the subject of a $1.2bn takeover bid by a consortium of Chinese investors - is including an ad blocker in the latest version of its desktop web browser that, it claims, will speed-up page loading times by up to 90 per cent.

The browser pioneer presented a series of comparisons with other ad blocker and browser combinations, finding that even the next best result, Firefox with Adblock Plus enabled, is still 21 per cent slower than Opera's integrated offering.

"Advertising fuels the internet, allowing many services to be free for users. But, as our new research shows, most web pages today are significantly slowed down by bloated ads and heavy tracking. We don't accept it. We want the web to be a better place for us all as users," said Krystian Kolondra, senior vice president of engineering at the company and head of Opera for computers.

The speed boost is achievable because ads are blocked at a web-engine level, meaning that it's the browser itself that controls page loading without having to make outside calls to plug-ins or extensions for each element.

To really rub it in, Opera also includes a benchmarking tool to show users and developers just how much difference the tool makes.

The debate over ad blocking is currently raging as people sick of unwieldy and performance-reducing advertisements are flocking to block, leaving webmasters struggling to find a business model that works.

Ad blocking has increased 41 per cent year on year worldwide, and 98 per cent of blockers are used on PCs.

Three announced recently that it is to become the first UK carrier to block adverts at a network level, while Apple has allowed ad blocker apps in the App Store for a year.

Opera announced a new version of its mobile browser earlier this week that brings many of the Chromium 49 features, such as physical beacon recognition and Bluetooth interaction, bringing it into line with the current Chrome mobile edition.