PSA: Reddit is Forcing Users to Accept Personalized Ads

[MacRumors]

Reddit this week announced that it will no longer allow Reddit users to opt out of ad personalization, which means that ads on the platform will be targeted based on site usage.

Right now, users can choose to toggle off an option to "personalize ads based on your Reddit activity and account info," but this toggle is being removed going forward. Reddit claims that it requires "very little personal information" and the change will be able to predict ads that are more relevant to each person.

Reddit requires very little personal information, and we like it that way. Our advertisers instead rely on on-platform activity--what communities you join, leave, upvotes, downvotes, and other signals--to get an idea of what you might be interested in.

The vast majority of redditors will see no change to their ads on Reddit. For users who previously opted out of personalization based on Reddit activity, this change will not result in seeing more ads or sharing on-platform activity with advertisers. It does enable our models to better predict which ad may be most relevant to you.

Reddit claims that the "vast majority" of Reddit users will not see changes to their ads, nor will users be seeing more ads. With no option to opt-out of ad personalization, Reddit is adding new toggles to limit ads from specific categories, including Alcohol, Dating, Gambling, Pregnancy & Parenting, and Weight Loss. Machine learning will be used to classify ads, so users will not be able to opt out of these ad categories entirely.

In select countries, the option to turn off ad personalization will remain, allowing Reddit to continue to comply with GDPR restrictions. Reddit users without the option to turn off ad targeting can expect to see ads that are based on subreddits they belong to, content that is upvoted, and more.

Reddit earlier this year made changes to the cost of its API, cutting out almost all third-party apps and forcing the majority of users to view Reddit on the website or on the Reddit app, both of which support ads.

Reddit says that these ad changes started rolling out yesterday.

Article Link: PSA: Reddit is Forcing Users to Accept Personalized Ads

 

[arkitect]

If I consider the very wide range of my reddit subs, I am bracing myself for the worst…

 

[bulbousnub]

Sounds like a great time to talk about Lemmy, a decentralized, Federated, open-source Reddit replacement. Learn more at https://join-lemmy.org/

 

[Natas1000]

Sucks for those who stayed.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I would not use a website that required such.

 

[jason4427]

I would not use a website that required such.

You probably already do and don’t know it.

 

[jz0309]

well, one does NOT have to visit any website that has policies one doesn't like ...

 

[Wildkraut]

Sad that American Reddit Users will have to pull the pant's down on privacy.
It's about time for an American Services Act, and an American Markets Act.

Thanks EU!

 

[Lynxpoint]

As much as I have no desire to be tracked or profiled, I have also become quite good at completetly tuning out ads...

More concerning would be if the number of ads increases. I don't mind scrolling past some ads, but once a platform essentially becomes an ad stream with the occasional bit of useful information, it is past time to leave.

 

[CE3]

Reddit corporate: bound and determined to become the next great dumpster fire of a website in 2023 👍🤡

 

[H. Flower]

As long as the volume of ads doesn't increase, I don't understand what difference this really makes.

 

[andreagrandi]

Good luck doing this in EU 😏

 

[BradWI]

Isn't everyone still using sideloaded Apollo?

 

[jlc1978]

Sad that American Reddit Users will have to pull the pant's down on privacy.
It's about time for an American Services Act, and an American Markets Act.

Thanks EU!

Or just give your location as an EU country. Between that and my VPN as far as websites are concerned I am in the EU, even when I am not; although when I am my VPN usually says I'm in the US so I can watch TV. Only hassle is non-EU websites that block EU IP addresses.

As long as the volume of ads doesn't increase, I don't understand what difference this really makes.

Reddit makes more money from targeted ads.

 

[locoboi187]

We need a good Reddit alternative

 

[aidler]

Reddit: “What the heck. Twitter plans to force all its users to pay for its services in the future? We can't leave the stage to them alone...
What can we do….
What can we do...🤔
Well hello, here's an idea... what if we...”

 

[mozumder]

Is this supposed to a problem?

 

[bollman]

Who cares? AdBlocker ftw.

 

[sack_peak]

Reddit earlier this year made changes to the cost of its API, cutting out almost all third-party apps and forcing the majority of users to view Reddit on the website or on the Reddit app, both of which support ads.

Did modifying those API prevent 3rd party websites from backing up old posts by users?

 

[boswald]

Just further cements my theory that ad/content blockers are mandatory.

 

[jclardy]

The reddit app is soo bad. Everything has too small tap targets, it's literally the only app I occasionally use that I mis-tap things. Animations are incredibly slow, you are better off scrolling past comments than trying to collapse a comment chain. And I just get such random junk on my home feed. Reddit died with Apollo, I used to use it every day..now it is maybe once a week, if that.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Man I'm so glad I don't have a reddit account

Who cares? AdBlocker ftw.

Just further cements my theory that ad/content blockers are mandatory.

Well that becomes a problem on iOS and iPadOS because since we don't have sideloading (yet) we don't have UBlock Origin.

 

[mrfunnypenguin]

How maddening. It may be time for the sun to set on my Reddit account.

 

[nrose101]

As much as I have no desire to be tracked or profiled, I have also become quite good at completetly tuning out ads...

More concerning would be if the number of ads increases. I don't mind scrolling past some ads, but once a platform essentially becomes an ad stream with the occasional bit of useful information, it is past time to leave.

They have to pay for those servers somehow. It isn't free.

 

[PassiveSmoking]

uBlock Origin. Supported on Chrome, Firefox and iOS Safari.