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Meta to introduce Ads on Threads in 2025 in move surprising no one. (www.reuters.com)
submitted 2 weeks ago by higgsboson@dubvee.org to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[-] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 100 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

"Since our priority is to build consumer value first and foremost, there are no ads or monetization features currently on Threads," a Meta spokesperson said in an emailed response.

The spokesperson then continued, "But only until early 2025. Then we'll be throwing consumer value in the trash and lighting it on fire. It will be very exciting."

[-] EvilBit@lemmy.world 52 points 2 weeks ago

They’re not even hiding the enshittification strategy. They’re practically teaching you the principles up front.

“First we trap you, then we exploit you. Duh.”

[-] HeadfullofSoup@kbin.earth 25 points 2 weeks ago

Is it enshittification if it's shit from the start?

[-] EvilBit@lemmy.world 19 points 2 weeks ago

I guess you can always make it shittier?

I never understood the appeal of Threads anyway. Like, who leaves Xitter because it’s toxic garbage and goes to something owned by Meta, who practically invented this particular flavor of toxic garbage?

[-] HeadfullofSoup@kbin.earth 6 points 2 weeks ago

Sometimes you just grow tired of getting shot in the knee and want to be punch in the face instead

[-] thedeadwalking4242@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Consumer value as in number of valuable consumers we can grift later

[-] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 3 points 1 week ago

You deserve a raise. Someone get this deadwalker a corner office!

[-] wrekone@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 week ago

Step 2 of the enshittification.

[-] SoupBrick@yiffit.net 59 points 2 weeks ago

[-] jadelord@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 2 weeks ago

Dear Pikachu, of course you are surprised. Learn how to expect and evade Team Rocket first.

[-] skillissuer@discuss.tchncs.de 33 points 2 weeks ago

Still no reason to defederate, huh?

[-] woelkchen@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago

Still no reason to defederate, huh?

No, it's not. Ads can't federate. Threads has no control over my Mastodon feed and Lemmy can't interact with Threads at all. Following Threads accounts from Mastodon is effectively an ad blocker.

[-] Lazycog@sopuli.xyz 20 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Might be a stupid question, but can't threads just post ads as "posts" via activityPub? On mastodon they would appear as toots?

Was just remembering how reddit introduced ads as basically promoted posts and recall facebook doing the same.

I sure fucking hope not.

[-] woelkchen@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

Might be a stupid question, but can’t threads just post ads as “posts” via activityPub? On mastodon they would appear as toots?

Ads in Instagram are posts in the timeline from accounts you haven't followed. Ads don't show when you visit a profile and browse its images. So for example a post by Coca-Cola might appear in the main feed even though I never followed it but it has a little "sponsored" marker in a corner to indicate that it's there because Coke paid for it and the ad placement algorithm thinks that I might be interested in that product. As Threads is a spin-off from Instagram, ads there will surely follow the very same model. Sure, you might be able to follow Coca-Cola's Threads account from Mastodon and see the post promoting their drink that way but Threads just cannot place targeted ads on Mastodon because they don't control that feed.

[-] Lazycog@sopuli.xyz 5 points 1 week ago

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense for targeted ads for sure. Still a bit worried about hashtags being used for ads since I follow a lot of hashtags on mastodon and usually have a quite a nice "organic" feed compared to other social media.

[-] woelkchen@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Still a bit worried about hashtags being used for ads

Coca-Cola could have an official profile on mastodon.social and use hashtags there as well. Whether corporations use hashtags or not in their "regular" Mastodon posts has nothing to do with Threads.

Also Mastodon has user-level features to restrict unwanted content to show up in your feed ranging from hiding boosts up to blocking the entire instance:

And since Lemmy cannot interact with Threads content at all, defederating Lemmy instances from Threads makes even less sense. One of the big Lemmy instances blocks Threads but doesn't block CSAM instances. Insane priorities their admins have.

[-] Lazycog@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 week ago

Appreciate the thorough explanations, thanks!

The last part is fucked up, yikes...

[-] skillissuer@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 1 week ago

How do you know that Threads won't inject ads as posts?

[-] woelkchen@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

How do you know that Threads won’t inject ads as posts?

Ads in Instagram are posts from accounts you don't follow. Threads can't make you follow promotion accounts you don't want to follow.

[-] pivot_root@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Depending on where they want to sit in the scumbag chart, there's no technical barrier stopping them from selecting threads-hosted accounts with high metrics and injecting advertisement posts under their handles.

[-] bizarroland@fedia.io 2 points 1 week ago

Remember, the rule is "Embrace, Extend, Extinguish".

Threads is doing this. Kicking them to the curb regardless of the cost is the only solution.

[-] woelkchen@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Threads had more users than the entire non-Threads fediverse within a day or two. Mastodon is not the competition.

[-] woelkchen@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

That would be A) identity fraud because it would be my favorite fair trade drink endorsing Coca-Cola without the ads being clearly separated as required by many jurisdictions and B) not targeted advertising in any way.

Even if Threads posts illegally embedded extra ads: Users could just opt not to follow Threads accounts. Threads cannot just magically place ads in the feed. That's impossible.

[-] net00@lemm.ee 4 points 1 week ago

Ads can't federate

Never underestimate facebooks capacity to enshittify. If they want to send ads as posts they will make a way. In principle the fediverse should oppose for-profit-line-go-up fuckheads, it's always the same bullshit.

[-] woelkchen@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Ads already are posts, as I wrote but the main feed algorithm is not in their hand, it's the local feed of mastodon.

If users aren't permitted to follow brand accounts, they're just being driven into the hands of BlueSky. Your attitude isn't helping at all.

[-] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 24 points 2 weeks ago

I'm changing my vote in the Agora from "yes defederate" to "Hell fucking yes defederate.'

[-] PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works 25 points 2 weeks ago

The only surprising thing is that it took this long.

[-] DesolateMood@lemm.ee 6 points 1 week ago

I haven't used threads, I just assumed it already had ads

[-] shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 weeks ago

Pretty much the exact same thought I had upon seeing the title.

[-] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week ago

Gotta build that userbase before you raoe them

[-] AWittyUsername@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

There must be an enshitification chart where time is on one axis and DAU is on another, where it's considered the perfect time to enshitifiy due to peak username or some shit

[-] PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago

Imagine that someone has that job. They make and present that chart in meetings. That person exists and is why we can’t have nice things.

[-] Cordinel@lemmy.sdf.org 23 points 1 week ago

TIL Threads didn't have ads

[-] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 20 points 1 week ago

i don't even threads yall, but I still am not surprised

[-] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 20 points 1 week ago

There aren't any ads on Mastodon. :)

[-] Eczpurt@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago

Did threads take off recently or what's the story? I thought it was unsuccessful as xitter was already the preferred platform

[-] cygnus@lemmy.ca 20 points 2 weeks ago

I thought it was unsuccessful as xitter was already the preferred platform

It isn't anymore, ad I expect that to accelerate. The Guardian just announced today that they will no longer use it, for example (although individual journalists may still choose to do so)

[-] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 1 week ago

Meta auto created threads accounts for all instagram users iirc so they kinda forced thwir way into the market by pre inflating their numbers.

[-] TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

yeah that is why i chose not to donate to the instance is that my home any longer.

when they decided to keep federated with threads they decided that they didn't need my donations.

[-] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 week ago

You know that blocking threads account-wide on Mastodon 2 clicks and a confirmation?

[-] MaxPow3r11@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Fuck Mark Zuckerberg. Fuck Jack Dorsey. Fuck Daniel Ek. Fuck Elon Musk. Fuck Peter Thiel. Fuck Jeff Bezos. Fuck Steven Huffman.

& all the rest.

[-] Andromxda@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 week ago

I'm just waiting for Bluesky to introduce ads.

[-] glowinfly@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 week ago

Maybe in the future, but for now it looks like they already amnounced their next step to how they'll monetize their platform.

Bluesky has revealed how it plans to start making money without necessarily having to rely on ads. The platform will remain free to use for everyone, though it’s working on a premium subscription that will provide access to profile customization tools (remember when Myspace offered that for free?) and higher quality video uploads.

Source: https://www.engadget.com/social-media/blueskys-upcoming-premium-plan-wont-give-paid-users-special-treatment-193800247.html

[-] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 0 points 1 week ago

How about ads on the hood of my car got when I'm doing oil changes? 😔😭

Or maybe 🤔, and I hope I don't offend my fellow human beings in Ukraine, but what if meta donated drones to Ukraine where they would blowup tanks and the explosion would be in the form of a dawn commercial? Or Downy! Or Mr. Clean... somebody has to Remove all the stains 😔.

this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2024
398 points (98.3% liked)

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