Facebook has decided to review some of its advertising practices. On one hand, it will be given more control to users, but the other, a bypass blockers mechanism is put in place.
The battle between publishers and ad blockers always rage. While the former are more likely to rebel, especially in France, against the second, Facebook decided to enjoy the torpor of the summer to put his foot in it. Thus, the social network has announced that now offers the ads they will no longer be blocked. It is also committed to improve the experience of users in the field.
The painful issue of Advertising Practice
In a blog post, Andrew Bosworth, vice president charge of advertising at Facebook, explains his views on the current situation: “ We all met a bunch of bad advertising: those that obscure the content that you try to read, those that slow down time loading and those trying to sell us products we do not want. The bad commercials are annoying in addition to being a waste of time , “he says.
For him, good advertising is that which does not interfere with reading, but it is especially relevant advertising. A position that is more consistent with the IAB and its two initiatives of the moment. DEAL and LEAN (see our analysis)
Advertising and should we “ help find new products and services and show us new experience , as a pub that shows you that your favorite band is coming to town or a great promotion on vacation to the tropics . ” Only “ advertisements do not always work like that and many people began avoiding certain sites or use blocking software to avoid seeing bad pubs. They were the best solutions so far , “said the official.
An observation made by many, but which most often leads to fight the symptom (ad blockers), rather that evil itself (bad advertising practices). One point we had already observed in some French publishers reactions.
Leave the choice to the user with simple settings
So Facebook account better target advertising displayed its users and to simplify the use of its sign advertising preferences. Accessible via the link “See more parameters” that can be discovered by clicking on the padlock of the notification bar, it allows a few clicks to add or remove keywords and interests that advertisers can use to reach you.
These keywords are divided into several categories and can be of all kinds. In the flying, an information icon appears and allows to why interest has been associated with you. This may be because you clicked on a publication linked to interest or because Facebook believes that your recent publications suggest that this might interest you.
We could see some other criteria more complex as “ away from his family “, indicating that the user is geographically distant from those he identified as being part of his family. In any case, clicking the little X that appears when hovering over an interest to instantly remove a keyword from your ad preferences. On the right, a block also adds preferences based on suggestions made by the social network.
The question is whether this will be the taste of the authorities such as the CNIL, or if adjustments are needed . To recall, the Commission formally called the social network in the last few months, and is analyzing his answers
Facebook: 1 – publishers. 0
The American company has nevertheless, a certain advantage over conventional sites that may operate tens of trackers to ensure targeting their advertising and track their users: it holds the data, management and operates enough content to come every day millions users on its site and its applications.
in addition, it offers many buttons that many sites still use, allowing to monitor end users outside Facebook (like Google does with Analytics). A position unattainable for information or services from smaller sites.
These and continue to multiply trackers and tools, even if it put their users on the back and encourage the use of blockers, rather than starting to unify their platforms and offer simple devices which allow or to oppose an advertising tracking.
as the industry keeps repeating that the user prefers targeted advertising, there are few who have decided to give him much choice, while the opt-in should be the rule. Despite the insistence of the CNIL or European decisions on the subject.
Be more responsible without fatten ad blockers
Meanwhile, Facebook ensures that its formats are designed to “ remove the reasons why the public turned to ad blockers .” In return, the group considers that there is no more reason why users should not see the ads it distributes. Thus, the advertisements displayed on the site will bypass computers to release ad blockers. The mobile site it does not seem concerned by this new anti-blocking formula.
The social network says in passing that it is not going to let go a penny to ad blockers for their filter passes those that they would agree to judge “reasonable.” Facebook believes that “ this practice is in the best case confusing to the public and reduced income from journalism and other free services that can be enjoyed on the web .”
Adblock More pressure
Affected quite directly, EYEO was quick to to be heard. Not surprisingly, the editor of Adblock Plus does not really taste the arguments of the social network and calls this decision that attacks its business model of “ unfortunate movement going against the choice of users .”
no comment on the reasonableness or not advertising as proposed by Facebook, he believes that the choice to view advertisements or not should return to the user and not to the “ publishers like Facebook that alienate their audiences and Advertiser that allow their beloved brands to be pressed in people’s throats. Yuck! . “
It seems to mention in passing that arrogates itself the right to make that decision through its whitelist, sometimes unpaid. Indeed, sites with fewer than 10 million ads per month do not have to pay a penny for it, but the biggest must go to the checkout and the note is painful. The standard fee charged by EYEO amounted to 30% of the advertising revenue of the target site.
A position that has earned the company its first legal setback in Germany, in front of Axel Springer. Indeed, in June the Court of Cologne made his appeal verdict in the trial between the two companies. According to Axel Springer, this practice would be “ unacceptably aggressive “, and the group took refuge behind a law passed last December in Germany to curb such practices.
its equivalent in European law limits its scope to relations between companies and individuals, but the German version also extends to relationships between companies. A qu’Eyeo text describes “ obscure .” The court nevertheless agreed with Axel Springer. The publisher has obtained EYEO its sites can appear for free in the famous list of “acceptable ads” if they meet the conditions.
A decision qu’Eyeo decided to appeal before the German Supreme court (the Bundesgerichtshof ). The creator of Adblock More also minimizes the impact of this verdict, arguing that it only applies to Axel Springer and requires only an exception in its rules, pending the outcome of his appeal.
making right way for everyone?
the war between publishers blockers may thus enter a new phase, with Internet users caught in the middle, as always. It remains to hope that a solution will soon be found so that they can surf the sites being imposed tens of trackers, while allowing publishers who have decided to focus on the advertising model to properly remunerate .
This situation will only be successful if advertisers, intermediaries, and editors sit around the table to make healthy decisions. Suffice to say that this is probably not for now …
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