Firefox helps iPhone users bypass ads on web sites while making money showing its own ads
- ID
- 20480
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 02 Sep 2026, 4:17 AM
- Fetched
- 02 Sep 2026, 7:24 AM
- Provider
- The Register
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/09/01/firefox-helps-iphone-users-bypass-ads-on-web-sites-while-making-money-showing-its-own-ads/5293747
- Source URL
- https://www.theregister.com/headlines.atom
Summary
- Score
- 3.5
- Created
- 02 Sep 2026, 7:28 AM
- Tags
- Audience
- developers
What happened
Mozilla has begun rolling out native ad blocking to Firefox for iOS, moving it out of experimental status. Because Apple forces all iOS browsers to use WebKit, Mozilla couldn't rely on its extension ecosystem and instead had to bake ad blocking directly into the browser using Apple's declarative WebKit Content Blockers, essentially converting the EasyList filter into a JSON file. The feature is off by default, and Mozilla still shows its own ads on the new tab page.
Why it matters
If you ship web properties or ad-supported products, expect a gradual increase in iOS ad-blocking coverage as this rolls out—though it's off by default, limiting near-term impact. For iOS app developers, the article is a useful reminder that WebKit Content Blockers are the only viable path for in-browser content blocking on iOS, since Apple blocks JavaScript-based extensions for performance reasons.
Discussion angle
How much does native iOS ad blocking actually move the needle for ad-supported SaaS or content businesses in Southeast Asia, given it's off by default and Firefox's iOS market share is small?