Free.fr has been trying for years to force big content providers, and especially Google, to participate in ISPs' infrastructure costs. This move is most likely a way to dry up AdSense revenue, hoping that Google will cave in.
Free.fr, and beyond the company its boss Xavier Niel, has a consistent track record of pissing of big players in established markets. Niel made his wealth with Minitel, including sex and dating sites, then consistently disrupted networking markets with Free.fr:
* they first sold dialup connection for the cost of a local communications, without ads;
* they established the price of unlimited ADSL around €30/month;
* they introduced TV over IP and free phone calls over IP through the freebox (the ADSL router that comes with a free.fr subscription)
* they started a bandwidth race, offering tens of MB/s when historic operators were stuck at 512KB/s.
* they slashed mobile phone prices: no subsidized phones, no contract, but unlimited calls and data (bandwitdth capped beyond 3GB/month) for less than 20€/month.
Their whole business model has always been about pissing off fat cats, big time. They're trying their luck against Google.
Just wait until Google, Microsoft and Yahoo all block Free.fr IP blocks until they cut this out.
It's one thing to piss off your competition, but pissing off the people who supply the only reason why you have customers is kind of stupid. Sorry, but if I couldn't get Google I'm switching ISPs tomorrow.
Personally I'm very happy that advertising is falling by the wayside -- we have been excessively subservient to ad networks and ad agencies, especially with regards to the Do-Not-Track fiasco.
If DNT were turned on by default instead of this ad-blocking would there be as much furor raised? Likely not.
It also looks like Google and a lot of other people can and should sue them. From the featured comment on Ars, it seems they are blocking everyone's news sites, except for his own.
Free.fr was once a real game changer, but that was 10 years ago. Over the past few months they have been caught red-handed filtering Google services (starting with YouTube) in order to pressure Google into footing the bill for their peering. Did not work so far, now they go for the ads.
I have no say in the Free.fr/Google quarrel, but as an end-user I could not accept being taken hostage. The first time I could not access Gmail, Google.com, or Google play for several days, I took it as a breach of their contract and switched ISPs.
Free.fr, and beyond the company its boss Xavier Niel, has a consistent track record of pissing of big players in established markets. Niel made his wealth with Minitel, including sex and dating sites, then consistently disrupted networking markets with Free.fr:
* they first sold dialup connection for the cost of a local communications, without ads;
* they established the price of unlimited ADSL around €30/month;
* they introduced TV over IP and free phone calls over IP through the freebox (the ADSL router that comes with a free.fr subscription)
* they started a bandwidth race, offering tens of MB/s when historic operators were stuck at 512KB/s.
* they slashed mobile phone prices: no subsidized phones, no contract, but unlimited calls and data (bandwitdth capped beyond 3GB/month) for less than 20€/month.
Their whole business model has always been about pissing off fat cats, big time. They're trying their luck against Google.