NY Times May Block Ad-Blocking Readers Who Are Not Subscribers

New York Times CEO Mark Thompson did not mince words when talking about ad blocking, which has been causing more than a few headaches for publishers, reports Adweek.

The report also stated, in part:

“During a keynote discussion at Social Media Week in New York, Thompson compared using ad blockers to stealing a print issue from a newsstand. “Trying to use and get benefit of the Times’ journalism without making any contribution to how it’s paid is not good,” he said. “Everything we do should be worth paying for. Everything should feel like it’s HBO rather than a broadcast network.”

“Thompson said the Times’ subscription model only covers some of its costs. “This stuff is not made for free,” he said. Thompson was blunt about ad blocking companies that allow publishers to be “whitelisted” (meaning their ads won’t get blocked). Such companies “essentially are asking for extortion to allow for ads to take place,” he said. “That should not be allowed.”

“Thompson said he is considering banning ad-blocking readers who are not subscribers, as some publishers have already done. “In the end, they’re not really helping pay for what they consume,” he said.”