U.S. online news publication Salon is planning on using its audience's "unused computing power" to mine cryptocurrency, CNBC reported.
If a reader chooses to block its advertising, Salon will use that person's computer to mine for Monero (TIKER: XMR/USD.BITFINEX).
"We intend to use a small percentage of your spare processing power to contribute to the advancement of technological discovery, evolution and innovation," the publication told readers.
"Your unused processing power are the resources you already have but are not actively using to its full potential at the time of browsing Salon.com," the online publication said on a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page.
The site is making use of CoinHive, a controversial mining tool that was recently used in an attack involving government websites in the UK, US and elsewhere.
However, unlike that incident, where hackers took control of visitors' computers to mine cryptocurrency, Salon notifies users and requires them to agree before the tool begins mining.