Mozilla set to offer ad-free browsing in Firefox for $5
Advertising is the lifeblood of many websites, but at the same time it is something that few people are fans of. To stave off income-killing ad-blockers, an increasing number of sites offer per-article or per-month subscriptions that give people the chance to enjoy content free of ads while still supporting the sites they love.
Mozilla has a different idea -- "Ad-free internet by Firefox". The result of a partnerships with multiple online publishers, the idea is that a single, low subscription fee gives you access to a number of sites with the ads removed.
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The idea is a simple one. You pay a monthly fee to Mozilla, and this money is shared with its partners to help fund an ad-free internet experience. More than this, Mozilla says that the subscription fee will also grant access to audio versions of articles, article synchronization and more.
On a page which promises people the chance to "support the sites you love, avoid the ads you hate", Mozilla says:
We've partnered with some of the world's greatest publishers to bring you a better journalism experience. We share your payment directly with the sites you read. They make more money which means they can bring you great content without needing to distract you with ads just to keep the lights on.
It goes on to say:
Subscribers also get access to audio versions of articles, bookmarks that are seamlessly synced across devices, exclusive top recommended reads, and an app that helps you find and finish great content, all without the distraction of advertising [...] No matter how you find an article, Mozilla’s ad-free experience is there. Whether you discover content in blogs or on apps like Twitter and Reddit, whether you’re on desktop or mobile, it just works [...] When life interrupts your reading, Mozilla helps you automatically pick up where you left off. Find a story on your laptop and resume from the same spot on your phone. Need to get in the car? Switch to audio on the go
The preview page says that the service is available for $4.99 per month, but it is not yet available. If you try to sign up for ad-free internet, you'll be taken to another page which informs you that:
This product isn't available yet, but we're working on it. Would you please click the Next button to take a short survey to tell us what you think? At the end of the survey we'll get your (optional!) e-mail address so that we can let you know when the Firefox Ad-free Internet beta launches.
There is no indication of when we can expect to see the beta.