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Reddit is removing ability to opt out of ad personalization

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Re: Reddit is removing ability to opt out of ad personalization

#11

Post by sfn42 »

I have used reddit for over a decade but I stopped recently. It's turned into a bunch of political echo chambers. I have been banned from subs just for commenting in a different sub. I have been banned for saying slightly controversial things that subs don't agree with. Not to mention literally every single time I've ever tried to post to large subs like shower thoughts or whatever, I get blocked by a bot. Some times I've seen nearly identical posts submitted after I tried to submit mine, I have wondered if they just block everything and repost for karma farming or something.

Anyway, reddit has become a toxic shithole. Better to stay away.

Re: Reddit is removing ability to opt out of ad personalization

#12

Post by sfn42 »

ryaneager wrote: post #9
huitzitziltzin wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, you can’t run a heavily trafficked website without any revenue. It’s very unlikely more than a tiny fraction of their users will pay any amount to use Reddit. They need advertising. In that situation, Reddit has to be partially accountable to their advertisers. The advertisers will want some measure of control over who sees the ads and some reporting on performance. I get that no one likes ads but…

So because nobody has found a solution in the vast amount of time that is 30 years, it could never be found? And we must bow down to advertisers? Okay bud.

They didn't say that. They just said it hasn't been found.

Re: Reddit is removing ability to opt out of ad personalization

#13

Post by polski-g »

SenAnder wrote: post #6
huitzitziltzin wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, you can’t run a heavily trafficked website without any revenue. It’s very unlikely more than a tiny fraction of their users will pay any amount to use Reddit. They need advertising. In that situation, Reddit has to be partially accountable to their advertisers. The advertisers will want some measure of control over who sees the ads and some reporting on performance. I get that no one likes ads but…

> The advertisers will want some measure of control over who sees the ads and some reporting on performance. They don't get either for highway billboards or magazine ads, radio or TV ads, yet for decades they advertised that way. They want control and spyware, but they don't need it.

If a makeup company wanted targeted ads for their dark-colored cream, they would advertise on BET instead of Hallmark TV channels.

They have traditionally had this functionality.

Re: Reddit is removing ability to opt out of ad personalization

#14

Post by SenAnder »

polski-g wrote: post #13
SenAnder wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The advertisers will want some measure of control over who sees the ads and some reporting on performance. They don't get either for highway billboards or magazine ads, radio or TV ads, yet for decades they advertised that way. They want control and spyware, but they don't need it.

If a makeup company wanted targeted ads for their dark-colored cream, they would advertise on BET instead of Hallmark TV channels. They have traditionally had this functionality.

They have this online as well - advertise dark-colored cream on reddit.com/r/blackpeople, and light-colored cream on r/whitepeople. Tracking individuals is fundamentally different.

Re: Reddit is removing ability to opt out of ad personalization

#15

Post by kobalsky »

huitzitziltzin wrote: post #5
vlark wrote: post #2

And the enshittification continues.

On the other hand, you can’t run a heavily trafficked website without any revenue. It’s very unlikely more than a tiny fraction of their users will pay any amount to use Reddit. They need advertising. In that situation, Reddit has to be partially accountable to their advertisers. The advertisers will want some measure of control over who sees the ads and some reporting on performance. I get that no one likes ads but…

but there was revenue.

reddit gold paid for hosting expenses, some communities had accumulated decades worth of server time by reddit's own reported metrics.

of course that method becomes unsustainable when you add hundreds of employees whose job is to make the site more profitable.

Re: Reddit is removing ability to opt out of ad personalization

#16

Post by LocalH »

huitzitziltzin wrote: post #5
vlark wrote: post #2

And the enshittification continues.

On the other hand, you can’t run a heavily trafficked website without any revenue. It’s very unlikely more than a tiny fraction of their users will pay any amount to use Reddit. They need advertising. In that situation, Reddit has to be partially accountable to their advertisers. The advertisers will want some measure of control over who sees the ads and some reporting on performance. I get that no one likes ads but…

Quite honestly, I don't give a single fraction of a shit what the advertisers want. As someone with ADHD, I find their entire industry to be quite ableist towards myself and others for whom focus is fickle.

Re: Reddit is removing ability to opt out of ad personalization

#17

Post by Nextgrid »

mcbrienollie wrote: post #4

Is it even okay with the external ad providers or GDPR?

It isn't, but it isn't relevant because GDPR is nowhere near enforced enough for Reddit to get in trouble for this.

When Facebook and Google are dealt with, then Reddit will have to worry and will change course.

Re: Reddit is removing ability to opt out of ad personalization

#18

Post by mcbrienollie »

Nextgrid wrote: post #17
mcbrienollie wrote: post #4

Is it even okay with the external ad providers or GDPR?

It isn't, but it isn't relevant because GDPR is nowhere near enforced enough for Reddit to get in trouble for this. When Facebook and Google are dealt with, then Reddit will have to worry and will change course.

So the classic case is happening. If you are powerful enough, you don't need to worry about any regulation.

Re: Reddit is removing ability to opt out of ad personalization

#19

Post by JambalayaJim »

SenAnder wrote: post #6
huitzitziltzin wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, you can’t run a heavily trafficked website without any revenue. It’s very unlikely more than a tiny fraction of their users will pay any amount to use Reddit. They need advertising. In that situation, Reddit has to be partially accountable to their advertisers. The advertisers will want some measure of control over who sees the ads and some reporting on performance. I get that no one likes ads but…

> The advertisers will want some measure of control over who sees the ads and some reporting on performance. They don't get either for highway billboards or magazine ads, radio or TV ads, yet for decades they advertised that way. They want control and spyware, but they don't need it.

If they had the ability to track people on the radio, they absolutely would. There is of course lots of market research and demographic profiling into how people consume old media, the internet just allows them to do it more easily.

Re: Reddit is removing ability to opt out of ad personalization

#20

Post by Nextgrid »

mcbrienollie wrote: post #18
Nextgrid wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It isn't, but it isn't relevant because GDPR is nowhere near enforced enough for Reddit to get in trouble for this. When Facebook and Google are dealt with, then Reddit will have to worry and will change course.

So the classic case is happening. If you are powerful enough, you don't need to worry about any regulation.

When it comes to the GDPR you don't even need to be powerful. Even very small players get away with breaching it.
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