For people viewing media - TV, magazines, newspapers, websites, social media and forums - it should come as no surprise that the trade off to receiving content is often the requirement to then also view advertising. For outlets like CHOICE (or Netflix, for example), the other alternative is that people pay for content up front, usually via a subscription. There are examples such as Spotify or Youtube where both options are presented - you may be able to pay to remove ads or consume freely in exchange for receiving ads.
For those of us viewing content online, the nature of ad delivery has at times become quite contentious due to data privacy issues. One well-known example is Facebook, which may use your data like ālocationā in relation to itās advertising services, as we highlight in a recent article. We have had some extensive existing discussions around peopleās feelings generally towards to data privacy, however I thought the opportunity to discuss the issue of advertising specifically would be an interesting one for the Community, and itās always appreciated to hear updates on everyoneās thoughts.
For example, based on a variety of research that informs my role here at CHOICE, itās apparent to me that many people will use a combination of approaches - viewing some media for free, paying to subscribe to other formats. At CHOICE, weāre not just providing ācontentā or reviews and then using advertising, but also we are using a variety of tools to campaign on important consumer issues, helping provide advice directly to people experiencing problems, as evidenced by our recent investigation into Telstraās sales practices towards the elderly. So perhaps there are other values at play - considerations on whether we feel an outlet is overall ethical or worthwhile enough to support or accept, and if not then finding an alternative or avoiding altogether?
It may be a case of personal feelings towards ads - perhaps advertising is so obtrusive, annoying and unwanted, you will either pay for ad free content or choose not to have any involvement if thereās no option to avoid. In terms of those who consume both types - paid for by ads, paid for upfront - how do align this to your privacy values, if you have them?
Further, in terms of ads you receive and privacy concerns, do you feel a targeted online ad is overly intrusive or not a concern? If yes, is it more obtrusive than an ad on the radio or TV, more obtrusive than targeted junk mail or white pages containing home addresses? Is an ad on Google search more intrusive than an ad on a website with pop-ups, and therefore is the level of intrusiveness a key factor you assess alongside privacy?
Perhaps you use a clever tool to manipulate websites or even more traditional ad attempts like mail to your home (general adblock comments over here), but if this does become the ānormā doesnāt it raise a question around ongoing integrity of many of the types of content, and therefore will we not end up with a new system that leads us back here - to this content transaction? If you have a system (digital or otherwise) on how you approach these issues and wish to share it, please feel free to do so.
The intention of this post is to provoke some meaningful discussion around an experience many of us face regularly from my personal perspective, not for any other purposes or necessarily an overarching āviewā from the organisation that I work for. Iām sure there will be people with different ideas in terms of whatās right or wrong, acceptable and unacceptable, but please be sure to be respectful to others, even if they may think differently or make different choices to your own.
Please add your thoughts below.
