Twitter's Newest Ad Format Can't Be Reported or Blocked
X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has rolled out several changes this week, including how ads appear on the platform.
Ads have started to appear on the platform that remove the ability to like or retweet the post, Mashable reports. They also remove the ability to see who posted the ad, and the designation that what you’re looking like is an ad to begin with.
The ads appear to be running with a small amount of written copy along with a photo and a fake avatar, giving the impression that the post is from an actual human. According to Mashable, most of the ads are “chumbox” ads, meaning they show up at the bottom of websites and are essentially all clickbait stories.
When a user clicks on any of the ads or even the avatar associated with them, they’re reportedly taken to a third-party website in a new window.
Mashable notes that the presence of the ads suggests that X is still struggling to find advertisers willing to spend money on the platform and is instead having to rely on ad sales through a third-party ad company. Users are likely seeing the ads because X no longer has any direct ad inventory to serve them.
On Friday, Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted to his subscribers about plans to hide the like and reply buttons from the main Twitter interface, something he says will “greatly improve readability.”
The company is reportedly looking at new ways for users to interact with tweets, including potentially adding the ability to double-tap to like a post on mobile or swipe a tweet to reply.
Musk also suggested this week plans to expand the company’s subscription service with additional tiers; however, no details of those potential changes have been shared.
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