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Original poster

Annoying pop ups

13 replies

NoWordForFluffy · 22/03/2019 09:24

I keep getting an annoying pop up which can't be closed and takes me away from the page I'm on when I 'close' it. Some dodgy, 'You have won' pop up.

I'm on the mobile site on my iPhone using Safari, iOS 12.1.2.

Can this please be sorted?

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MNHQ

AnyaMumsnet · 22/03/2019 10:49

Hi there all,

We are aware of the issue and are trying to get this sorted. Thanks for your patience.

MNHQ

AnyaMumsnet · 22/03/2019 17:28

Hi there all,

We're really sorry about this. We think we've managed to figure out what's been causing this and have put some blocks in place, which can take a while to take effect. If anyone still continues to have this issue after 6pm this evening, please do let MNHQ know.

Thanks for your patience while we've been investigating this.

MNHQ

LilyMumsnet · 22/03/2019 18:54

Hi all

No updates but we're still working to fix this ASAP. We're so sorry for the inconvenience it's causing.

MNHQ

HebeMumsnet · 23/03/2019 10:30

Morning, everyone. We're really sorry about this. Tech are working on it as we speak and as soon as it's sorted we will let you know.

In the meantime, just a reminder to be careful when posting screenshots that you haven't included your IP or any other personal info. We've deleted a few posts on this thread that had those details on just to be on the safe side. If you have posted images with these details and can still see your post and would like it removed, just hit the report button and let us know.

Thanks again for your patience with this.

MNHQ

LilyMumsnet · 24/03/2019 17:32

Should be gone again now - sorry about that!

MNHQ

AnyaMumsnet · 25/03/2019 10:23

Hi there all,

We're really sorry this is taking so long to sort out, thank you for your patience. We are still looking into it and trying to figure out exactly what the cause of it is. We've tried a few fixes so far but unfortunately it seems nothing has worked.

MNHQ

AnyaMumsnet · 25/03/2019 13:28

Hi all,

Is anyone still having this issue? If so please post a screen shot when it happens - we need to see exactly what time you're seeing it, as we're tweaking quite a few things simultaneously to get it sorted as quickly as possible.

MNHQ

AnyaMumsnet · 26/03/2019 11:29

Hi there @whatashower,

Unfortunately, some fraudulent advertising buyers install malicious code and try to bypass the security systems of websites. They target users using random categories, and constantly change these categories which can make it very hard for security teams to find the source.

At Mumsnet we only work with reputable organisations, but in this case we are dealing with well-organised fraudsters, which makes it extremely hard to identify the root cause.

We appreciate all the information you send to us and we use it to help investigate and test out scenarios in an attempt to solve the problem. We are currently talking to Google's Trust and Safety teams to find out more and we'll continue to do our best to avoid these situations.

Let us know if you have any more questions about this and we'll try to answer.

MNHQ

AnyaMumsnet · 26/03/2019 12:32

Hi there @whatashower,

We always recommend users do not click on anything suspicious and alert us immediately. We need to issue to happen on the live site so we can replicate it and kill it, otherwise we wouldn't be able to get to the bottom of it. We have now got a step by step document on what affected users can do to help us find the source, which we'll direct you to if the issue occurs again.

Obviously we can't be sure of every case for sure, but usually all these ads are trying to do is drive traffic to their websites, to enable them to make more money from ads.

We hope this explains a bit further, but let us know if you need anything else.

MNHQ

MichaelMumsnet · 27/03/2019 11:01

We're looking at how to stop the annoying pop-up ads and have the following info to pass on if any of you are interested in turning detective (and are using Apple/iOS devices), please read on...

Why are Mumsnet showing me these annoying pop-up ads?
Mumsnet sell adverts directly to some advertisers, however we also sell some of our adverts through third-party partners. We do not sell these annoying pop-up adverts directly to advertisers as we know they are frustrating and take you away from the site. These adverts often come through third-party partners which we try to stop as soon as we can.

Can I help?
You can help us to track down advertising miscreants by using a free app to identify where these bad ads are coming from. If you're interested, there are more details below...

What is HTTP Watch?
HTTP Watch basic is a free app (not the paid for version) in the Apple App Store which functions like a normal web browser with the added benefit of capturing all the ad calls and ad responses whilst you browse.

Will HTTP Watch record any private information such as login details?
No, your personal data is not captured in the trace. All that is captured is various requests and responses that the page makes such as requests to third-parties to return adverts on the page.

When should I use HTTP Watch and why?
It can be extremely difficult for Mumsnet to identify where the ad is coming from with only a screenshot or a URL. As an ad call can be passed from one company to another we will often need to know the full chain of events to help us identify the guilty party very quickly.

How to use HTTP Watch
Go to the Apple App Store, Chrome webstore and download the free HTTP Watch Basic app (not the paid for version)

Instructions
Once downloaded, open the app and type in the website URL where you last saw the bad ad
If you do not see the bad ad Click on menu (identified by 3 horizontal lines top right hand of screen) and tap ‘Clear Log’.

Refresh the page or go to another page to see if the ad appears. If the ad does not appear then repeat step 3.
Once you see the bad AND you need to tap on the icon that looks like three horizontal bars in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. This is where all the ad calls have been captured whilst you have been browsing.

Now tap the Menu icon in the top right of the screen (three horizontal lines.)Tap ‘Email’ and then send this whole file to Mumsnet explaining the issue you saw with as much detail about the issue you saw. The email address is [email protected]

Remember to ‘Clear Log’ after each page refresh when you don’t see the bad ad otherwise the file can become very large and you may not be able to email the file to us. You only need to clear the log when you do not see the ad or after you have successfully emailed the log to us.

MNHQ

LilyMumsnet · 09/04/2019 21:24

Hi all

We're so sorry about this. Can you possibly provide a screenshot? And perhaps turn data off, click the ad and send us the link? (if wifi and data are off, it will give you the link but won't load the page, so you can exit it without actually visiting).

MNHQ

AnyaMumsnet · 10/04/2019 16:19

Hi there all, thanks so much for letting us know about this. We are currently investigating, but the following information would be really helpful to help us deal with as quickly as possible.

  1. Device and Platform: iPhone/Android etc and Safari/Chrome/FireFox etc
  2. Redirect Location: URL of page redirect launched FROM
  3. Redirection Destination: URL/Screenshot of the page the redirected TO
  4. Your approximate location: you might want to namechange for this one.
MNHQ

KimMumsnet · 14/04/2019 20:00

Hi all, thanks for those latest updates on this. We're still working on it and hopefully we'll get somewhere soon.
We do get how frustrating it is, so thank you for your continued patience.

Watch this thread for updates

Tap "Watch" to get all the latest updates

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