This week Apple quietly introduced a new feature coming to iOS 18’s Safari web browser called Distraction Control. The feature, which you can access now via the iOS 18 developer beta, is unusual because Apple made no mention of it when it first previewed the iPhone’s upcoming operating system this past June.

Distraction Control will allow users to selectively eliminate elements of a website they don’t want to see while browsing. But it’s a feature that is already causing controversy. Here’s what you need to know about iOS 18’s Distraction Control.

What is iOS 18’s “Distraction Control”?

Distraction Control is a new feature coming to the Safari web browser in iOS 18, the iPhone’s upcoming operating system. Distraction Control is also coming to Safari on the iPad with iPadOS 18 and to Safari on the Mac with macOS Sequoia.

The feature allows users to selectively erase elements of a web page they don’t want to see. When the user returns to the web page in the future, these elements will remain hidden (with some caveats, mentioned below).

Now, because of Distraction Control, users will be able to prevent certain web page elements from appearing. These may include things like pop-ups asking you to sign up for a site’s newsletter, banners alerting you to cookie or GDPR policies, sign-in windows (such as those from Google), and, yes, ads.

It is this latter element that is making Distraction Control so controversial.

Publishers fear Apple will make it too easy for users to block ads

We’ve all been annoyed by online ads. But the fact of the matter is that online advertising is what allows for so much of the web to be free. Without online ads, all publishers would need to resort to paywalls, charging you a subscription fee if you want to view their content. But given how few readers are actually willing to pay a recurring fee for content, an ad-free internet would mean that most websites would eventually need to close their doors and lay off their staff.

Online publishers have long held grievances over the harm ad-blocking services inflict on their bottom lines, but what worries them most is the possibility that platform giants like Apple will make it even easier for users to block ads. If ad blocking is easy, free, and baked into an operating system’s default browser, many more people are likely to do it—hurting the ability of publishers to generate revenue.

That’s why, when AppleInsider broke the news in April that Apple was working on an AI-powered tool dubbed “Web Eraser” that would allow users to easily block website ads, major publishing bodies were up in arms, including the News Media Association and a number of French trade associations that represent publishers, advertisers, and ad tech companies.

As noted by AppleInsider, the News Media Association told Apple in a letter that the Web Eraser feature could make journalism unsustainable and that “ad-blocking is a blunt instrument, which frustrates the ability of content creators to sustainably fund their work.”

It’s unknown whether these concerns are the reason Apple didn’t announce the “Web Eraser” tool just over a month later at its Worldwide Developers Conference. But nevertheless, as of this week, the feature is alive and kicking in the latest iOS 18 beta and will roll out to users globally next month.

Of course, the feature now has a less threatening name (“Distraction Control” sounds a lot more palatable than “Web Eraser”). Apple also seems to have at least considered the concerns of publishers. That’s because Distraction Control will not permanently block ads from a website, as MacRumors notes. Users can still use the tool to block ads, but since ads are non-static, they will reappear when the ad refreshes on the website. Also, if the user leaves the website and then returns to it, any blocked ads will reappear (most other hidden elements will remain hidden).

However, despite these concessions (if that is what the reduced ad-blocking functionality is), Distraction Control is still likely to give publishers anxiety considering that ads can still be blocked for a while.

Distraction Control can be a boon to specific groups of users

Distraction Control will likely appeal to a large number of everyday users. The feature could also make web browsing a less frustrating experience for specific groups, particularly the elderly and those with visual impairments.

While age is never a reliable indicator of online prowess, some elderly users find browsing the web confusing—especially when websites throw pop-up after pop-up at them. Many times, these pop-ups obscure the entire screen on a mobile device and the buttons to dismiss them can be small and hard to see. This can lead to frustration and confusion for the user who can’t easily find the content they expected to see.

The ability to permanently hide these pop-ups with Distraction Control will make it easier for users who already face these challenges.

A second group of users for whom Distraction Control could be a potential boon is those who are visually impaired and need to use screen readers to hear what’s on a web page (read by a digital voice). iOS’s built-in screen reader is called VoiceOver. A sudden pop-up can disrupt the screen reader’s narration, making for a frustrating browsing experience.

Now that Distraction Control can eliminate these unneeded elements, iOS’s VoiceOver accessibility feature should work better than ever for the users who need it.

Distraction Control is expected to ship as a built-in feature in Safari in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia when the operating systems launch to the public next month.