For those internet users tired of seeing ads all over their favorite websites, CNET reports that Google may have a solution: an ad-free browsing experience via a subscription service, called "Google Contributor".
Contributor is being tested by Google too see if Internet users are willing to shell out $1 to $3 for ad-free websites. The experiment is currently applicable to only ten websites at the moment - those who are participating in the program.
Contributor is an "experiment in additional ways to fund the web", says their website. "Today's Internet is mostly funded by advertising. But what if there were a way to directly support the people who create the sites you visit each day?"
According to Google, this is how the whole thing works: "When you visit a participating website, part of your contribution goes to the creators of that site. As a reminder of your support, you'll see a thank you message - often accompanied by a pixel pattern - where you might normally see an ad."
At the moment, websites that are confirmed to be participating in Contributor include image-sharing site Imgur, news satire website The Onion, Urban Dictionary, Science Daily, WikiHow, and tech website Mashable, reports Business Insider.
Google has stated that there will be more websites joining up, and for those interested to participate in the subscription service, they'd have to sign up for an invite first.
However, it is not yet clear whether Internet users who don't join Contributor are going to be allowed access to the participating sites, and even lesser reason to expect that every existing website today will want their visitors to pay up before being allowed access, says Mark Hachman of PC World.
"Online ad metrics are difficult to quantify... the recent leaderboard of advertising zones places the top ad at just $2.90 per 1,000 impressions, or views. Chances are that the most dedicated readers aren't visiting a site 1,000 times per month - although if enough sites sign on, your Contributor dollars may be sliced up tens or hundreds of ways."
The decision by Google to launch Contributor "is a pretty surprising move," as Nathan Ingraham of The Verge describes it.
"It's far too early to say whether Google's plan will catch on, but there's no doubt it's an interesting step into the murky waters of getting paid for online content," he adds.