Web pop-up merchants named and shamed

Four fifths of the 11 billion pop-up ads on the internet come from just 63 companies, according to research by Nielsen/NetRatings.

And just 10 per cent of companies use the ads, which account for only two per cent of the online ad market.

There were 11.3 billion pop-ups ads on the web between January and July, according to Nielsen/NetRatings.

About nine billion, or 80 per cent, came from just 63 of the 2,208 companies advertising on the web.

"Consumers may be surprised to find out that pop-up advertising comprises such a small percentage of the total ad market," said a Nielsen/NetRatings spokesman.

"And while a growing number of websites are addressing consumer concerns by outlawing them altogether, we anticipate that the continuing negativity surrounding pop-ups will lead to new ad designs that are less intrusive and more responsive to consumer expectations."

According to Nielsen/NetRatings the biggest offender is X10 Wireless, a seller of small web cameras, which has created more than a billion pop-up impressions alone this year.