Yahoo testing system to lock out users who employ adblockers

Yahoo is testing a way to fight back against people who employ adblockers, denying users access to their e-mail if they refuse to disable a tool that damages the technology company’s ability to sell advertising. The Silicon Valley group is running a small trial with Yahoo Mail users in the US, showing them a notice when they try to log in to their inboxes that reads: “Uh oh . . . We are unable to display Yahoo Mail. Please disable Ad Blocker to continue using Yahoo Mail.”

There is no technical reason why the e-mail cannot be displayed. The company is trying to protect its advertising revenue by ensuring people who use its free products can be marketed to -- something that using an adblocker prevents. Yahoo said it was “continually developing and testing new product experiences” and would not comment on whether the company was considering a similar approach with its other properties, such as its digital magazines or apps such as Yahoo Weather.