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My first instinct is that this feature will involve google contributor, where users can block ads and still send revenue to sites they frequent. https://contributor.google.com/

I went to check on the status of that program and got this message:

We’re launching a new and improved Contributor in early 2017!

3 comments

It'd be a neat middle option: display safe ads in Chrome with Google providing assurances that impressions/clicks aren't bots without the crazy messes of JavaScript currently used for that, and put a “Pay this site directly and never see ads” button next to it so people who really don't like ads can opt-out.

That would place pressure on advertisers outside of Google's network to switch, yes.

Edit: though from the article it really does seem much more benign.

Disclosure: I am working on what is, ostensibly, a competing product.

Brave is already doing this http://brave.com