Ad blockers dont block ads. They arent even &quot;ad&quot; blockers but just filters - browser extensions that block anything on a page from loading if its coming from a blacklisted domain. Whether it&#x27;s ads, trackers, social widgets or just an image - it gets blocked by canceling the network request.<p>Surveillance is not the leading cause for adblock, it&#x27;s because people don&#x27;t like ads and a 1-click install to remove them is incredibly easy.<p>Advertising online will always have some sort of tracking because that is the benefit of advertising online - to know the real metrics of who has seen and clicked and engaged with an ad. If you&#x27;re worried about real privacy issues, you should focus on Facebook&#x2F;Google and government agencies.