A reopened lawsuit might make ad blockers illegal in Germany

Here is a 180-word summary of the news article: A lawsuit filed by German publisher Axel Springer SE against ad-filtering software company Eyeo and its popular Adblock Plus extension is being reopened, raising the possibility that ad blockers could be declared illegal in Germany. The lawsuit, which was originally dismissed by a Hamburg court, will now be reviewed again to determine if the initial ruling was incorrect. Axel Springer claims the ad blocker infringes on its copyright and jeopardizes its revenue model. However, the previous court ruled that ad blockers do not modify a website's program, but rather change the sequence to prevent advertising from being displayed. Mozilla has warned that a ban on Adblock Plus could lead to the restriction of other ad-blocking browser extensions, arguing they are important for accessibility and privacy. While it could take up to two years for the case to be decided, the outcome could have significant implications for the future of ad blockers in Germany. Large tech companies like Chrome and YouTube have also taken steps to limit ad-blocking capabilities, suggesting a growing pushback against the technology.