iPad using Safari unwanted redirects to app store

On an iOS device all you can do is clear website history and data under safari settings. If the redirects persist, there s little you can do other than ask the web master for the site to remove the redirect links in their site's code. Otherwise, don't visit that site. Any web site can embed whatever redirects they wish to, so it really is up to them to police their own code if it is driving folks away.

This has begun to happen for me with all of Engadget.com's web pages - as soon as the page opens the App Store opens and a gambling app like Labrokes, William Hill or Uber pops up (companies I'm now completely boycotting!!). I find it hard to believe reputable sites like Engadget would want these re-directs to happen because it not only annoyingly opens the App Store but also back in Safari it redirects you away from their website so you can't read any of their great articles!! After the re-direct I get a web address in Safari something like "tracking.crobo.com" which I've now added to the "Never Allow" list in Websites/Restrictions/Settings so at least now the App Store doesn't open automatically but I still get directed away from the Engadget site so I'm unable to read any articles on it. The only other way of reading the website is to turn off JavaScript in Advanced / Safari settings (I'm using iPad on iOS 8.1.2), but obviously that completely hobbles the webpage in many ways (no pictures but at least you can read text).

This is beginning to remind me of the bad old days of the early Internet with pop ads!! Something needs to be done about this at a root level, Apple shouldn't allow their browser to automatically open the App Store without the user's consent - maybe at the very least a little box in Safari asking if you want to open the App Store which you can dismiss if you want to stay in Safari & not open the App Store?