One of the things missed in previous versions of Internet Explorer is having an ad blocker, such as the famous AdBlock extension which has versions for Firefox, Chrome or Opera. With Internet Explorer 9, the functionality required to block ads is built-in in the default browser and it is called Tracking Protection. There's no need to install any add-ons. You simply need to subscribe to the appropriate protection lists. This tutorial will show how.

What is Tracking Protection?

Tracking Protection is a feature of Internet Explorer 9 which allows you to block content from websites. This content is blocked if it is included on a so called Protection List. Such lists exists in the Internet Explorer Gallery, including the famous EasyList maintained by the community which contributed to the creation of the AdBlock extension.

Block Ads by Subscribing to EasyList

Let's see how you subscribe to EasyList:

First, go to the Internet Explorer Gallery. There, click on "Get Tracking Protection Lists".

A list with all available protection lists is opened. Go to the EasyList version you want to use and click on Add.

You are now asked to confirm adding the tracking protection list. Click on Add List.

The protection list is now added. You won't receive any confirmation messages. However, you will noticed a big difference while browsing the web. All of a sudden, most ads will no longer show up on the websites you visit, just like in the example below.

Conclusion

As you can see, subscribing to protection lists is an easy task. For more cool tips about Internet Explorer 9, check out the list below.