December 7, 2025
Ad-pocalypse Now
I block all online ads
The anti-ad crusade ignites Brave vs Firefox brawl and an Instagram rumor
TLDR: A user shows how they nuked nearly all ads with browser blockers, DNS filters, and a cloud VPN while urging direct support for creators. Comments explode into Brave vs Firefox smack talk, Twitch ad-block flexing, and a viral rumor that VPNs make Instagram stop ads, sparking fact-check frenzy.
One bold poster declares war on ads—every banner, pre-roll, and pop-up—using a mix of browser blockers, phonebook-level filters (DNS), and even a cloud VPN to look “suspicious” enough that platforms won’t risk showing ads. They still urge folks to support creators directly, but the comment section turns this into a full-on spectacle. Brave fans swarm in, with one user claiming the Brave browser “saves their sanity,” while Firefox loyalists flex uBlock Origin as the classic combo. The author’s line about ad blockers being the biggest boycott in history gets cheers, boos, and memes.
Drama erupts over the cloud VPN trick—users explain a VPN is a private tunnel and that using public cloud IPs makes ad systems treat you like a fraudster, leading to fewer ads but more annoying puzzles and blocks. One commenter drops a spicy bomb: “If you use a VPN, Instagram stops showing you ads?!,” and the thread turns into a live fact-check party. Twitch diehards tout AdGuard Extra as the secret sauce for ad-free streams. And just to keep it meta, someone jokes that the headline got “optimized” to remove the word “How,” because of course it did. Verdict: the internet is torn between ad-free bliss and captcha purgatory, and they’re loving the chaos.
Key Points
- •The author uses Firefox with uBlock Origin and minimal filter lists (built-in, EasyList, AdGuard – Ads) for browser-level ad blocking.
- •DNS filtering via Pi-hole (or AdGuard Home) complements browser blockers, especially for mobile apps; access is secured through WireGuard and Pi-hole is deployed in Docker.
- •Curated blocklists from The Firebog are recommended, alongside maintaining an allowlist to prevent breaking legitimate functionality.
- •Routing traffic through public cloud providers via VPN/proxy can reduce ads due to platforms’ anti-fraud measures, but may cause Cloudflare captchas/errors.
- •The article acknowledges ads fund free content and suggests supporting creators directly; SponsorBlock is recommended for skipping sponsored video segments.