Photo Credit: GGD News
For a select group of Instagram users, Meta has unveiled ads they cannot scroll past. The new feature being tested is called an “ad break;” and each one has a small timer, counting down to zero. Users must watch/consume the ad break and wait for the timer to finish, before their Instagram feed resumes normal functionality. During the non-skippable image or video, a pop-up also explains to users, “Ad breaks are a new way of seeing ads on Instagram. Sometimes you may need to view an ad before you keep browsing.”
Meta has not confirmed if the testing will translate into a new standard for Instagram. However, the move to introduce an “ad break” does hint at the possibility of Meta creating a premium, ad-free tier for Instagram users; similar to streaming platforms like Netflix. Or even YouTube, which provides both a premium option and a version with non-skippable ads. “We’re always testing formats that can drive value for advertisers,” is all Meta would tell the BBC in a statement.
Any changes made to Instagram’s mobile ad model will also happen to coincide with Meta’s incoming AI integrations. As it stands, the data from posts created on Instagram (you can opt-out in the Europe Union) is already being used to train Meta’s AI. Go get more data here.
