In an apparent attempt to find a solution to the dwindling ad revenues amid the widespread use of ad-blocking software by users, the popular torrent tracker The Pirate Bay has taken advantage of a devious new method to help swell its coffers.
According to Gizmodo, the torrent site introduced a JavaScript plugin to its homepage which basically forces the users’ computers to ‘mine’ Monero – an open-sourced cryptocurrency that was created in 2014.
The torrent tracker users discussing this issue on the Pirate Bay subreddit appeared to be divided on the issue: while some approved of this move, regarding it as a better alternative to ads, others took offense with the website implementing this measure discreetly without asking for the users’ consent.
Gizmodo also pointed out that the program could be disabled by employing a plugin like NoScript or ScriptBlocker, or by simply adding the miner’s provider, Coinhive, to an ad blocker’s blacklist.
