It has nothing to do with security or stealing, you are really making comparisons up now just to prove your point. You are actually stealing from a store becaus

It has nothing to do with security or stealing, you are really making comparisons up now just to prove your point. You are actually stealing from a store because in a normal situation it is obligatory to pay. You are taking something away the store owner normally should get paid for. Now, imagine this store would offer the Sprite free-to-fetch BUT there is a man singing next to the fridge which sells CDs of his recordings. It is not obligatory to buy a CD before you fetch a Sprite. However, the man ocassionally jumps in front of the fridge and tries to make eye-contact to give you his best shot at convincing you to buy a CD of his. Annoying, isn't it? This man adds no value to the Sprite you can get for free yet he tries to sell you a CD you didn't ask for! Well, apparently the store owner made a deal with the man: for every CD he sells, he gets a nice commission. Would you steal the Sprite if you put on sunglasses (to avoid eye-contact) and wore earbuds (so his singing doesn't bother you) every time you get a free Sprite from the fridge? If you know the answer, you know whether ad blocking is stealing. Now, if the set-up would be "Buy a CD and get a Sprite" (a pay wall) you would indeed be stealing if you got the sprite without paying.