Sponsored images are tracker-free. We had SpaceX images in the New Tab Page (NTP) without getting paid, and supporters suggested we do more and charge. If you don't like these images, turn them off ("Customize" controls on lower right). That our users mostly like these images means not only that they didn't roast us, but that we got some revenue to keep alive and keep going. This is a win in our book, but I realize not everyone agrees.

Our early website writers oversimplified. We didn't block ads so much as tracking, so the text changed. But then the code evolved, and now we block both using the same lists as uBO, only with aggressive shields required to block first-party ads that don't have tracking or whose tracking we nullify. This requires more nuance to describe. I'll get someone to work on the website docs, but the ground truth is what the browser does. If you set your global shields to aggressive and see an ad, please file a bug or DM me on Twitter and we'll work to fix it. Thanks.