In recent days, many Facebook users have noticed an annoying change in their browsing experience on the platform: an advertising interval that cannot be skipped. Recently, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced some changes to its subscription plans, responding to requests from European Union regulators, including a 40% reduction in the cost of ad-free subscriptions and the introduction of two options for users who continue to use the services free of charge.
The first option contemplates the classic display of personalized ads during navigation; and the second forces users who have chosen to “watch fewer ads” to watch ads that they cannot skip for a few seconds.
More and more ads on Facebook
The changes were necessary so that Meta could keep its advertising business active in Europe. For this reason, the company revised its plans and added an option that allows users to access platforms completely free, agreeing to see fewer personalized ads. According to the giant’s definition, these are “ads based solely on context, what a person sees during a specific session on Facebook and Instagram, and on a minimum set of data that includes age, location, gender and the way you interact with advertising content.” Specifically, it refers to a simplified version of traditional ads, which Meta proposes to users based not only on the data provided when registering on their social networks, but also on information about how they use their devices.
This translates into “ads that are less relevant to the interests” of users, which could compromise their experience. Added to this is the fact that some of the non-personalized advertising could be skipped and would necessarily have to be shown to people for a few seconds, as already happens on other platforms. In this way, users will be able to preserve their privacy, providing the platform with the least amount of data about them possible, but they will have to make concessions with insistent and uninteresting advertising, which does not necessarily make the experience on the platform better than before.
Article originally published in WIRED Italy. Adapted by Alondra Flores.
#Meta #launches #advertising #interval #Facebook #Europe
