Our research
To ensure that the committee serves all sides equally we’ve written a set of bylaws that give the committee its power. The committee conducts independent research into the acceptability of various ad formats and codifies the results in the Standard for what constitutes as acceptable to all stakeholders.
Download our research papers below.
Revisiting ad-blocking users’ perceptions of a 300×250 ad placed in primary content
28 March 2024
Investigating the sentiment of ad-blocking users towards websites featuring an ad refresh implementation.
19 December 2022
Investigating the sentiment of ad-blocking users towards websites featuring an ad refresh implementation.
13 August 2018
Measuring ad-blocking users’ perception of advertising types on mobile browsers.
A closer look at our approach
Suggestions to change the Acceptable Ads criteria can come from the AAC Representatives themselves, feedback from ad-blocking users, or based on industry developments. Any request to change the Acceptable Ads criteria needs to be based on neutrally derived data, for instance, following a research study commissioned by the AAC. An ad is eligible for introduction to the Standard if the data shows that less than 35% of ad-blocking users do not find the ad to be disruptive. Following a review of the data, the AAC representatives agree on a proposal to change the Acceptable Ads criteria. This proposal is communicated to users so that they can provide their feedback on the proposal for one month. User feedback is then discussed with the AAC before a final vote.