advertisement
Latest
Amazon's Prime Video will show ads unless you pay $3 more per month
Prime Video users will soon see ads on shows and movies unless they pay an extra $2.99 per month on top of their regular Prime subscription.
YouTube test threatens to block viewers if they continue using ad blockers
YouTube is testing a more aggressive approach when it comes to getting viewers to disable their ad blockers.
Not all Netflix shows will be streamable on the ad-supported tier
But the service is renegotiating deals with partner studios and distributors to change that.
Google surprises Android TV owners with unwanted advertisements
Updates that add features like additional HDR support or fix weird issues are one good thing about smart TVs, but as many of us have experienced, there can be a downside. Software updates delivered months or years after a TV is purchased could change the interface for the worse, or add "features" that are really just revenue-generating opportunities. A "pilot program" popping up on Android TVs (which include most of Sony's lineup from the past few years, even the expensive models) combines both of those issues by adding a row of Sponsored content that no one asked for. That no one apparently includes Sony, which posted a new support page noting that the change is managed by Google. Even though owners of their TVs purchased displays without the ads and didn't anticipate they'd show up, there's no way to simply disable them -- instead Sony suggests creating a new Restricted profile that will only list the apps users opt into showing.
Hulu to start showing ads during pause breaks this spring
Hulu is set to show you ads from popular brands when you hit pause during a binge. According to the streamer, the static promos will start appearing in the spring for select shows and movies. Unlike traditional TV ad breaks that interrupt your viewing, Hulu says its new ads are designed to be "non-intrusive." They'll also carry messaging that's relevant to a pause break, starting with ads from Coca-Cola and toilet-paper brand Charmin (pictured above). Because, let's face it, you're probably stepping away from The Handmaid's Tale to grab a bite or to visit the john.
Facebook's political ad system is still easily tricked
Ahead of the 2016 US presidential election, Facebook and other platforms were used by foreign groups to stoke political tensions in the country. And in order to deter a repeat of that situation, Facebook has implemented some safeguards, one of which is its revamped political ad system. In April, the company began requiring anyone wanting to post a political ad to verify their identities and locations and in May, ads themselves began to feature a "Paid for by" disclosure. But that system isn't as rigorous or as transparent as Facebook has touted it to be, and a new report from Vice News highlights some of the problems.
Facebook's 'playable ads' bring game demos to the news feed
Facebook's next foray into the gaming space is giving players a chance to try mobile games out before they download them. The social network is calling them "Playable Ads," which is fairly self-explanatory. There's a lot of advertising mumbo-jumbo in Facebook's announcement, but the key takeaway is that you'll be able to play a brief section of a given mobile title within the News Feed (from the App Store or Google Play, not a Facebook game) without actually downloading it. Google has tested similar with its Instant Apps and plenty of free-to-play titles have playable advertisements stuffed into their experiences.
Facebook is bringing augmented reality ads to the News Feed
Facebook is now testing augmented reality ads in its News Feed, the company announced today at an event in New York City. The new feature, which is limited to users in the US at launch, will let you virtually try on items including fashion accessories, cosmetics, furniture and more. The goal here, of course, is to help you visualize what a product looks like on you, or around your physical environment, before you buy it. Michael Kors is the first brand to have AR Ads in the News Feed, where it is going to allow people to browse different sunglasses, use the camera to "put them on" and then buy a pair if they like it -- all within an ad.
Amazon may add to its ‘free’ TV streaming in the UK
Amazon's next foray into video probably isn't what you expect. No, the e-commerce juggernaut isn't jumping into VR (that we know of), it will potentially start offering more free, ad-supported channels however. At least in the United Kingdom. According to the UK's This is Money (an offshoot of The Daily Mail), Amazon recently posted a job listing for "head of free to air TV and advertising" based out of London. The expectation is that it'll broadcast Premier League soccer next year for free, with traditional commercials running during the matches.
Google will verify the identity of those buying US political ads
Following similar moves from Facebook and Twitter, Google has now announced how it will be handling political ads going forward. All three have been compelled to address the issues that arose from the last US presidential election, during which Russian groups purchased election ads aimed at sowing political discord. In a blog post, Google Senior VP Kent Walker described some of the measures the company will be taking now and in the near future.
Facebook's apology ad tries to remind you of the good times
Remember when Facebook was a place where you wished happy birthday to people you never interact with otherwise and occasionally pulled up an ex's current pictures to see how they're doing? In an apparent bid to pull the narrative back from its executive's TV interviews and a couple of appearances in front of Congress, the social network has started airing this ad promising "Facebook will do more to keep you safe and protect your privacy." Spam, clickbait, fake news and "data misuse" are all cited specifically as things that are going to change, even as Cambridge Analytica and AI nipple recognition go unmentioned. If your account is already deleted or you're holding fast to a theory that the company monitors your microphone for ad targeting this video is unlikely to change your mind. The question for people who are more casually aware of the current environment of privacy reckonings is whether it makes them feel safer about logging into Facebook or not.
Snapchat's sponsored filters are now a lot more like ads
It's been a weird year for Snapchat. The company needs to make money, but it hasn't figured out how to do so without ticking off users. The latest addition to the app's camera might not engender a lot of love from people, either. Next time you open the app and pick a sponsored face filter -- an ad in and of itself -- you should see a "call to action" button, according to Recode. Meaning, that below the (potentially racist) face filter, now there will be a button that takes you to a digital marketplace or company website. To check it out in action, hit the source link below.
Facebook will label political ads and note who paid for them
Facebook vowed in October it would require electoral advertisers to identify themselves. Now they're expanding that to include anyone who buys an ad about 'issues' -- as in, political topics debated across the country. Anyone advertising in either of those categories must confirm who and where they are to get 'verified' -- and their messages won't appear until they do. Crucially, the advertisements themselves will bear the label 'Political Ad' in the top-left corner and disclose who paid for it, which will start rolling out in the US this spring.
Apple's Spike Jonze-directed HomePod ad makes lofty promises
Silly us. We worried that Apple's HomePod could fall behind because Siri isn't quite as capable as competing virtual assistants. As the just-debuted HomePod advertisement helpfully illustrates, the $349 speaker can do so much more than that. As near as we can tell, each purchase will include built-in apartment expansion, Spike Jonze visuals and dance-offs with FKA twigs set to a brand-new Apple Music-exclusive Anderson .Paak song (Til It's Over). Or maybe it will just sound that way?
Burger King tries to explain net neutrality with fast food
Nothing brought net neutrality to the fore of people's minds more than the FCC's plan to take it away. From the very beginning, when FCC Chair Ajit Pai announced his intentions to repeal 2015 net neutrality protections, to December 14th when the FCC voted three to two to approve the repeal, public outcry was manifested in the form of widespread protests, letters of appeal and even death threats. But what may be the clearest sign of net neutrality's move to the mainstream -- as well as the egregiousness of the FCC's vote -- is Burger King's new ad, a demonstration of net neutrality using Whoppers as an allegory.
Chrome will block the most annoying ads starting February 15th
Back in June, Google announced that Chrome would start automatically blocking annoying internet ads in early 2018. You know the culprits -- ads that autoplay sound, force you to wait several seconds before the page loads, and otherwise ruin your browsing experience. But now we know when this will go into effect. On February 15th, Chrome will begin blocking these noxious ads.
Facebook found essentially no Russian effort to sway Brexit vote
In October, UK officials asked Facebook to look into the possibility that Russian groups had attempted to sway the Brexit referendum through the site. They were particularly interested in whether ads were purchased by Russia-linked accounts and how many times they were viewed if so. Now, the New York Times reports that Facebook has found little evidence of Russian interference, at least when it comes to Russian-purchased Facebook ads.
House intel committee will release Russian-funded Facebook ads
A month ago, Facebook revealed that a Russian group bought $100,000 worth of ads on the social network in an apparent effort to influence the 2016 US Presidential election. After more was revealed about the far-reaching impact of the ads, the social media titan handed them over to the House Intelligence Committee last week. Now Congress is planning to release the advertisements to the American public, according to CNBC -- but not before a November 1st hearing that will include Facebook, Twitter and Google.
Facebook moderators were reportedly not prepared to catch Russian ads
Facebook's admission that Russian-linked advertisers spent $100,000 on ads leading up to and after the 2016 presidential election has led to serious questions about their effects. But how did they make it through the social network's filters? Four anonymous advertisement monitors explained to The Verge that, as contractors handling hundreds to thousands of ad parts per day, they weren't adequately prepared to screen the propaganda and keep it off the site.
Facebook allowed advertisers to target anti-Semites
As further proof that the Facebook ad network needs a lot of work, ProPublica has discovered that it allowed advertisers to target anti-Semites. When you buy ads on Facebook, the system prompts you to add targeted categories, which are real keywords or phrases people use on their profiles. Well, ProPublica has proven that the ad network recognizes anti-Semitic sentiments from users' profiles as valid ad categories, including "Jew hater," "How to burn jews," "Nazi Party," "Hitler did nothing wrong" and "German Schutzstaffel." Since the network's algorithm handles ad purchases from start to finish with no human input, ProPublica was able to get the anti-Semitic ads it purchased for its investigation approved within 15 minutes.
