# Is it illegal to delete banner ads from the window you're viewing a page in? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-delete-banner-ads-from-the-window-youre-viewing-a-page-in/674710 "2013-11-24T22:23:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-delete-banner-ads-from-the-window-youre-viewing-a-page-in/674710/1 "2013-11-24T22:23:31Z")
Would that be a violation of some implied terms of agreement under which the page host is offering the content? ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-delete-banner-ads-from-the-window-youre-viewing-a-page-in/674710/2 "2013-11-24T22:39:05Z")
It can’t be illegal, as no agreement will be in force as you hit the page. However, if they can determine that you are not displaying the banner ad (via cookies, mostly), they have the right to not return any content at all (or pop up a message, or replace all images with inverted versions, or some other annoyance). ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-delete-banner-ads-from-the-window-youre-viewing-a-page-in/674710/3 "2013-11-25T00:18:44Z")
There could be trouble if its an internet cafe or public hotspot wifi thing being filtered. The key is the _public_ nature… eg what if you are using wifi at McDonalds and they censor KFC / Hungry Jacks /Burger King/Pizza Hut adverts ? The producer of the content (web page or tv channel, dvd, etc) can claim that a modified version is a breach of their copyright, they control what is released. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-delete-banner-ads-from-the-window-youre-viewing-a-page-in/674710/4 "2013-11-25T20:36:52Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Would that be a violation of some implied terms of agreement under which the page host is offering the content? It’s not illegal that I’m aware of, and you didn’t agree to any terms when you viewed the site. (Well, it’s _possible_ you did I suppose, but I’m sure you’d remember that.) This is assuming when you say “deleting” you mean “removing from your client” and not “hacking into their web server and deleting the ads for everybody who views the site”. Hacking into a web server is illegal almost everywhere. I do think ad-blocking is kind of a dick move if you’re enjoying the otherwise free content of the site. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-delete-banner-ads-from-the-window-youre-viewing-a-page-in/674710/5 "2013-11-25T22:19:49Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > I do think ad-blocking is kind of a dick move if you’re enjoying the otherwise free content of the site. It’s not free if they demand you view ads with it. It’s more of an unspoken negotiation: “I’ll show you my content if you listen to my sponsors.” My counter-offer, and the default of AdBlock Plus these days: “I’ll look at your sponsors’ messages as long as they’re not too annoying.” Websites that get it change their ads to be less intrusive. Websites that don’t, yet continue to offer their content, either have enough money from other users that they don’t care, or soon fold. No big loss either way. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-delete-banner-ads-from-the-window-youre-viewing-a-page-in/674710/6 "2013-11-25T23:12:13Z")
You should be OK as long as you don’t remove your mattress tags.