Meta Platforms, the company that owns Instagram, is said to be trying ads that can’t be skipped in the feed of the social media app⁹. Users and people who care about privacy are upset about this move .
Instagram Ads You Can’t Skip
After pictures of the feature started going around social media, Instagram revealed that it is trying ads that can’t be skipped. When these new ad breaks happen, they show a countdown timer that stops app users from seeing other content until they watch the ad . With the change, the social network would be more like the free version of YouTube, where users have to watch ads before and during video episodes.
Responses and Concerns from Users
Users are angry about the new ads that can’t be skipped. Some said they would close Instagram if they saw more “ad breaks” like these, and others said they would never use the app again .
What Meta Thinks About Collecting Data
In addition to the problems caused by ads that can’t be skipped, Meta is also being questioned about how it gathers information. Two Facebook users are suing Meta Platforms Inc., the company that owns Facebook, for reportedly collecting user data through in-app browsers, which is against Apple’s privacy rules. Meta has explained what it does by saying that it carefully made its in-app browser to respect users’ private choices.
Legal Problems and What They Mean for the Future
Meta is facing several cases and protests about how it uses personal data, which has caught the attention of the law. These events show that tech companies’ need to make money and users’ need for privacy are still at odds with each other.
Meta is testing new ad forms and is being questioned about how it collects data. This puts the tech giant at the center of a larger discussion about digital privacy and the future of online advertising.
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