Adblockers: The Contentious Tool for Internet Users' Privacy and Ad Elimination
The legal battle between German publishing giant Axel Springer and ad-blocking service Adblock Plus has taken a new turn, with the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) overturning a previous ruling from the Hamburg Higher Regional Court (OLG).
The BGH has sent the case back for a new trial, citing unclear and contradictory findings by the OLG on whether adblockers interfere with the underlying code of websites. The court also found that the OLG's ruling was unclear about the protective subject matter it based its decision on.
Axel Springer, which considers the ruling a fundamental success for the protection of online journalism, has claimed that ad blockers damage the integrity and central financing basis of journalism and endanger open access to opinion-forming information on the internet.
In a statement, Eyeo, the Cologne-based company behind Adblock Plus, expressed its continued belief that no company should prevent users from determining their own browser settings or force downloads of content or tracking. The company is examining the reasoning of the BGH's ruling in detail.
It is worth noting that the BGH announced it would wait for a ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on a similar case, but this decision did not play a role in the announcement of the ruling now.
The current status of the legal dispute means that the case will continue at the lower court level, with the Hamburg Higher Regional Court set to re-examine the issue of whether adblockers infringe copyright law. Springer has appealed for injunctions and damages, and these claims will form part of the new hearing.
This latest development in the long-running dispute follows years of legal attempts by Axel Springer to regulate adblockers. The company shifted its strategy from competition law claims to copyright law in 2018, with mixed success. The most recent BGH decision (July 2025) marks a continuation rather than a conclusion of this case.
As of August 1, 2025, no more recent updates or final resolution have been reported in the sources available. The legal proceedings are expected to continue, with both parties preparing for the new trial.
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- The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has questioned the previous ruling of the Hamburg Higher Regional Court (OLG) on the finance aspect of this case, as the OLG's findings on whether adblockers interfere with the underlying code of websites were deemed unclear and contradictory.
- Axel Springer, in their claim for injunctions and damages, argues that the technology used by ad blockers negatively impacts the finance of online journalism by damaging its integrity and central funding basis, endangering open access to opinion-forming information on the internet.
