Apple (AAPL) to Allow Ad Blocking with iOS 9

Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) iOS users are about to see another benefit from the service: blocking ads.

The Financial Times reported that Apple will enable ad blocking in its Safari web browser in an attempt to bolster user privacy. Changes will come with the implementation of iOS 9, which was announced earlier this week.

Developer documentation for iOS 9 has a section entitled, Content Blocking Safari Extensions. In part, the section reads, The new Safari release brings Content Blocking Safari Extensions to iOS. Content Blocking gives your extensions a fast and efficient way to block cookies, images, resources, pop-ups, and other content.

The move could put a hamper on the mobile ad market; Apple users are generally seen as a wealthier group and a more desirable target for advertisers. Whether or not this is a positive for other mobile platform providers (read: Google, Microsoft) in terms of mobile ad revenues is yet to be seen and may not be realized until early- to mid-2016 as iOS 9 takes hold.

Shares of Apple are indicated higher early Thursday.

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