Google has taken the decision to ban Flash from its internet ads.
The creaky old multimedia software platform has appeared to be in its protracted death throes for some time, with one tech company after another opting to block it from their portals.
It’s been almost nine years since the original iPhone infamously turned up without Flash support, and Apple has been far from alone in its disdain for the platform.
Another big blow has just been delivered by Google.
In a recent Google+ post, the internet giant has announced that “the Google Display Network and DoubleClick Digital Marketing are now going 100% HTML5.”
That effectively means the end of Flash on Google’s ad platform – at least when it comes to display ads.
From June 30 of this year, Flash display ads can no longer be uploaded to AdWords and DoubleClick Digital Marketing. From January 2 of 2017, Flash display ads will no longer be able to run on Google’s ad platforms.
Which means that this time next year, we’ll all be using a significantly less Flashy internet – ad blocker or no ad blocker.
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Video ads built in Flash will still be allowed for now, but it seems likely that their days too are numbered.
There are three ways for developers to make the switch from Flash to HTML5, and Google has provided a link to an article that helps explain how these methods can be utilised.