Moderators of Reddit’s popular technology subreddit, which boasts more than 5 million subscribers, are considering banning links from publishers, specifically Wired and Forbes, that force users to disable ad-blocking tools to access their sites.
In a message posted yesterday, r/technology moderator “cerq” signaled out Forbes for reportedly serving users malware when ad-blockers are turned off resulting in a “security risk” to the community. The moderator said that the ban could be expanded to websites with paywalls, like the Wall Street Journal.
The ban is being put up for a vote with currently polling overwhelmingly in favor (89 percent) of the ban.
Reddit’s audience trends young, male and tech savvy, making them more likely than the general population to use ad blockers. A chorus of comments echo this sentiment, slamming publishers’ advertising tactics:
“Ads are a necessary ‘evil,’ (come on nothing is free) however, they have proved to be far more evil than need be,” a commenter wrote, adding that publishers “make plenty off some other shady practices such as ‘sponsored’ content which are also just ads. They can get by without the slime ads that most are trying to block.”
Another person added: “Media sites need to accept that they can’t expect viewers to respect their rights to monetize while they continue to pollute search results to boost their ranking.”
It is becoming increasingly common for publishers to block readers using ad blockers: GQ, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The New York Times and Wired have all begun in varying ways asking people to disable ad blockers or pay up.
According to Forbes, the publisher’s anti-ad blocking measures haven’t had an impact on traffic to sections where using ad blockers are most likely more comment, like technology and gaming. But some readers say that Forbes is delivering malware when they turn off ad blockers making them not want to even access Forbes.
Forbes didn’t immediately responded to a request for comment. A Wired spokesperson said it’s rolling out a secure HTTPS connection to ensure a “safe and secure” experience for readers and pointed us toward to its ad-free paid subscription for people who don’t want to see ads.
-
‘Quit your f – king job’: How the pandemic has pushed journalists to exit the industry
The pandemic seems to be pushing journalists who were already on the verge of leaving the media industry to the brink, and those that have left are not looking back.
-
Member ExclusiveMedia Buying Briefing: ‘Accountability is just going to spread’: Agencies agree carbon-neutral goals are a must
Independent agencies believe their environmental efforts can have a bigger impact than the giants, citing their effect on small businesses that make up 44 percent of the U.S. economy.
-
Cloud computing is the new frontier for companies looking to get ahead of Google
The fiercest battle being waged between Amazon, Google and Microsoft is over cloud computing — Google’s deprecation of the third party cookie will open media and advertising up as new fronts in that war.
-
SponsoredHow retailers can be ready for holiday shoppers this year
Suchi Sastri, managing director and partner, Boston Consulting Group As the holiday season approaches and the pandemic continues to evolve, retailers want to know what to expect. Will e-commerce continue to grow at the rate it did last year? How big of a role will in-store shopping play in holiday shopping? While it’s still early, […]
-
‘Don’t freak out yet’: Publishers brace for iOS changes to their newsletter businesses
Apple's Mail Privacy Protection will scramble the plans many publishers had for their newsletters.
-
‘The future of CTV is direct mail’: How Lockard & Wechsler Direct navigates clients through a tight TV marketplace
Lockard & Wechsler Direct, a 30-year-old performance marketing agency, is one of several shops trying to pick their way through a more complicated TV marketplace.
