Don’t trust pop-ups: A Florida man got a message on his laptop that looked like it came from a cybersecurity company he uses. Then scammers called and said someone took out a gambling loan in his name. The fix? Deposit $38K through a Bitcoin ATM. Yeah, they got him. If someone phones demanding crypto, hang up.
Adpocalypse survival guide
ChatGPT
“Kim, I am so sick and tired of all the ads on websites. It feels like they’ve gotten worse since ChatGPT is taking away site traffic from Google. How do I block the annoying ads?” — Terry in Ohio
Terry, you’re right. Websites are loading up with more ads than ever.
Pop-ups, auto-playing videos, banners that dance around while you’re just trying to read a recipe or check the news. It’s digital chaos.
Why? Because many sites are losing tremendous ad revenue in the 60% range from fewer clicks and fewer visitors. So they’re cramming in even more ads, hoping to squeeze out one more buck before you give up and close the tab.
But you don’t have to live like this. Here’s how to shut down the noise.
🔧 Start with your browser
Fight back, one browser setting at a time.
Chrome:
- Click the three dots (top right) > Settings > Privacy and security > Site Settings
- Scroll down and block pop-ups and redirects
Safari (Mac):
- Safari > Settings > Websites > Content Blockers
- It tries to get rid of pop-ups, trackers, auto-play videos and more
Firefox:
Malware warning: Red flags your computer is under attack
© Thodonal | Dreamstime.com
It’s Computer Security Day, and there’s no better time to remind you malware is lurking everywhere. From phishing emails to unsuspecting ads, just one wrong click can compromise your personal info or infect your devices.
95 billion
That’s how many hours Netflix had people glued to their couch in the first half of 2025. That’s over 10 million years of screen time, roughly twice the age of Homo sapiens. Netflix plans to double its ad revenue with pause ads and interactive pop-ups. Nothing says “immersive drama” like a toothpaste ad mid-tear.
🛑 Block pop-ups in Chrome: Sick of annoying pop-ups or pages redirecting you without asking? Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Pop-ups and redirects and choose Don’t allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects. It’s not an ad blocker, but it helps keep sketchy sites in check.
Scareware 101: How to spot this dangerous cyberattack and protect yourself
Spam is unavoidable: It clutters your phone call history and chokes your email inbox. Like spam, scareware is another annoyance that seems to go hand-in-hand with internet access. It’s why you should never click pop-ups that say your system is at risk.
📵 Get rid of pop-ups in Safari: Scrolling on your iPhone and run into a full-screen pop-up asking for your email? You might be able to hide it. Tap to show the address bar, then hit the Page Menu button and choose Hide Distracting Items. Next, tap the pop-up, select Hide, then press Done.
Get your refund: The FTC is sending $25.5 million worth of payments to 736,375 scam victims. Restoro and Reimage tricked folks with fake pop-ups and ads into thinking their computers were infected when they weren’t. Check your PayPal if that’s you.