Meta's Instagram is currently experimenting with "ad breaks" that may soon force users to stop scrolling for a few seconds to view an ad.
Several X and Reddit users reported seeing the feature, expressing frustration with the platform’s decision.
One user even captioned its ad screenshot on X with, "Instagram is testing unskippable ads bc we are not allowed to have any fun on the internet now."
Meanwhile on Instagram targeted ads… pic.twitter.com/Up2N39zpg8
— Kevin (@caoimhinof) June 4, 2024
On the other hand, some users showed how the targeted ads hilariously failed in, well, targeting them.
Soon after, Instagram spokesperson Matthew Tye confirmed to The Verge that ad breaks are being tested and that the company will give updates about product changes once they're finalized.
Instagram Experiments with 'Ad Breaks'
On top of targeted ads, Instagram also reportedly prevented select users from scrolling, displaying an "ad break" message after a certain number of posts, with a countdown timer that shows how long until one can start viewing posts again.
A user posted their experience on Reddit, sharing that when they clicked on the "ad break" icon, Instagram showed the message, "Ad breaks are a new way of seeing ads on Instagram. Sometimes you may need to view an ad before you can keep browsing."
Instagram already displays sponsored posts and ads between content, both on the home feed and on Reels.
Meta is slowly killing Instagram
byu/Flashy-Inspection-25 inInstagram
Many users see this development as disruptive for the sake of profit, continuing a long trend of dissatisfaction with Meta.
Rival platforms TikTok and YouTube also show ads on their respective short-form video feeds, but users are given the choice to skip them.
Despite overwhelming user protest, Instagram hasn’t yet issued another statement about what exactly will happen in terms of its ad placement system in the future.
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Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang
