Google has set a deadline to make a complete transition from the Adobe Flash to HTML5. While the process has already been underway, the same is set to gain some momentum starting June 30, 2016. After the deadline, Google will no longer allow advertisers to upload ads with built-in Flash content to AdWords and DoubleClick Digital Marketing (DCDM).
The entire process of making Google Display Network and DoubleClick Digital Marketing completely free of Flash will reach a culmination by January 2, 2017. However, Google stated video ads built with Flash will not be affected at the moment.
Google in a post made in AdWords’ Google+ page stated the move is aimed at making the ads visible to more audiences and across a greater diversity of devices.
To make it easier for advertisers to make the transition to HTML5 from the Adobe Flash, Google has also set up a web page carrying necessary details.
Google had been busy distancing itself from Adobe Flash right from January 2015 itself when it began adopting the HTML5 video format for its YouTube video in place of Flash. This was followed by another program of converting Flash-based ads to HTML5 automatically.
Adobe’s Flash has been on the way out for quite some time now owing to its susceptibility to security issues with the platform having made it to the dubious list of top 5 having the highest number of vulnerabilities in 2015. Flash with 314 publicly disclosed vulnerabilities made it to number 3 on the list, behind OS X and iOS.
Adobe too isn’t too amused of the development, being all too aware of the disadvantage that Flash posed vis-à-vis HTML5. In fact, Adobe too played a part in ensuring the slow demise of Flash when it announced it won’t be supporting Flash Player on mobile devices.
Worth mentioning, late Steve Jobs too had famously predicted the demise of Flash in his open letter titled ‘Thoughts on Flash’ back in 2010. Jobs then had said HTML5 will be the future and won’t be allowing Flash on Apple mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad, and iPod.
