Google aims to rally European media businesses in a fight against ad-blockers
Threatened by the rise of ad-blockers, and the threat that has on its revenue, Google has launched a Digital News Initiative, which aims to get the industry to agree to drive out those who continue to use aggressive online advertising practices. Google President for EMEA Strategic Relationships said, “we need to work together to create a standard for better ads online”. With Europe's online advertising market valued at $33bn in 2014, Google wants as many publishers to sign up as possible, and currently 100 European publishers have. 

Google is attempting to curb the growing use of ad blockers by finding common cause with some of its fiercest critics in the European media business to counter growth in ad blocking technology.

Sensing the very real threat posed by such tools to advertising revenues, Google is seeking to rally the industry behind a common threat by uniting behind a drive to weed out aggressive online advertising practices which irk consumers.