Internet Explorer may be discontinued soon, but it's not going down without a last fight. Starting June 1, it will have a feature that will help limit the number of misleading ads users see when browsing the web.
The SmartScreen Filter feature of the browser will include updated rules that determine whether a site may contain malware or unwanted software which also include an enforcement against ads the try to mislead, deceive or even confuse users. It will also include rules to limit ads that directly request software downloads.
According to Microsoft, its reason for doing this includes the fact that the number of intentionally misleading advertisements on the Web are increasing. On a blog post, the company stated that they are finding that those types of ads "often try to convince a user to do something, the consequences of which they may not fully understand, such as visiting an infected website or downloading a program that can negatively impact their browsing experience."
These days there are so many warnings when someone browses the Web that people often get "warning fatigue." Studies have shown that browser users ignore over 70% of security alerts that appear on their screens. However, they pop up for a reason, so it's worth taking a few seconds to read them rather than just clicking to make them go away.
It's also advised that if a product being advertised sounds interesting, go to the product's website rather than click ads. This is a precaution in case the ad includes malware or spyware.
A way to prevent warning fatigue as well as reduce the number of ads seen is to activate the popup blocker in the browser. Also, consider installing some type of ad blocking software. These may also prevent accidental clicks on ads or other sites that may do damage.
Google has already made product changes to its Chrome browser by enforcing policies with warnings. It also made changes to its advertising network to limit the number of misleading ads when using its product.
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