What flashes in your mind when you envision an “ad break”? You’re probably imagining interruptions from advertisements on television or streaming platforms.
Nonetheless, you might not be aware of an innovative advertising program that Facebook is introducing for users in the European Union, aimed at tackling persistent criticism of its “subscribe and pay” or “continue to see ads” alternatives in that region.
Currently, Facebook provides users with two selections for advertisements:
- Personalized ads
- Less-personalized ads
The primary distinction lies in the data that Facebook employs to furnish these ads. Personalized ads, which are the standard choice, leverage user information to offer tailored advertisements. For instance, if you’ve been looking for particular household items, you will likely encounter more ads related to those goods.
In contrast, the less-personalized choice relies on a limited set of user information. Facebook indicates that these ads might not correspond as closely to personal preferences. However, the platform still considers various elements, including age, gender, location, previous ad interactions, and content viewed.
Most importantly, a new functionality might introduce ad breaks.
Ad Breaks on Facebook
If you opt for the less-personalized ads, you may experience ad breaks. At present, this feature appears to be accessible only on the mobile application of Facebook.
While navigating your Facebook feed, the app may abruptly add an advertisement, temporarily stopping your scrolling. Essentially, it pauses your activity to showcase the advertisement.
This strategy seems to be crafted to guarantee that users engage with the advertisement. One possible rationale for it being introduced on mobile is due to the lesser incidence of ad blockers or other ad-skipping techniques in applications.
Numerous users find these interruptions annoying, as they break their engagement with the platform.
Note: Not all users opting for less-personalized ads are experiencing ad breaks.
The only verified method to evade these interruptions is to switch back to personalized ads on Facebook.
Other potential solutions include:
- Accessing Facebook through a mobile web browser, preferably one that enables content blocking, such as Firefox, Brave, or Vivaldi.
- Utilizing DNS-based content filtering services like AdGuard, NextDNS, or Control D.
How to Alter Ad Experience Preferences on Facebook
To toggle between personalized and less-personalized ads on Facebook, adhere to these instructions:
- Open https://accountscenter.facebook.com/ad_preferences/ad_settings/ad_experience/#09 in your browser’s address bar.
- If you aren’t signed in, please log into your account.
- Select either Personalized ads or Less-personalized ads.
- Verify your choice on the subsequent page.
What are your thoughts regarding this change? Would ad breaks prompt you to reconsider using the Facebook app, or any other application? Share your opinions in the comments below.
Image Source: Alex Photo Stock / Shutterstock
