What you need to know in advertising today

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2017 03 02T190013Z_1_LYNXMPED211D2_RTROPTP_4_EUROPE MIGRANTS HUNGARY FENCE.JPG

REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh

It's time for some Friday ad questions.

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It's been hard not recognize the irony that the recent escalation in online ad blocking being driven by tech giants, Google and Apple, and not rogue startups . Google and Apple are both trying to rid the industry of those annoying, hijack-your-screen type ads that consumers hate.

The thing is, everyone in the industry seems to agree these kinds of ads need to go by the wayside. After all, there are countless initiatives and committees aimed at cleaning up the mess that is online advertising.

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So why are people up so in arms?

Well, digital media executives sure don't like it when two of the most powerful players in the tech world wield their power indiscriminately. It also doesn't help when there is uncertainty. Google says it is on the side of publishers and wants to better the ad ecosystem. Apple hasn't said much, and the company has historically been indifferent at best to advertising. What do they want here?

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One thing that was striking this week: ad tech companies admittedly aren't exactly sure how this all will play out. When will they know?

Lastly, it's fair to ask, is this noise all that big a deal, since so much digital content consumption happens in mobile apps (like say Facebook and Snapchat) where browser-built ad blockers won't have an impact?

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