4 ms·

Worst case is if this leads to "sponsored stories" where an article is about one thing and they sneak an infomercial in there for ad revenue but in a very subtl

by lqdc13 10y ago

Worst case is if this leads to "sponsored stories" where an article is about one thing and they sneak an infomercial in there for ad revenue but in a very subtle way such that it doesn't name a product even. Effectively, this would make it impossible to tell ads from not-ads leading to a much worse experience for everyone.

belorn 10y ago
Which ever publisher that do so hopefully live in a country which doesn't have advertisement laws (and tax laws, if they try to be sneaky with the source of this new revenue). There is currently several cases in Sweden, and I heard similar tales in several other countries including the U.S. I would say that for once, the law is actually catching up with Internet activity that would clearly be illegal if done on a physical paper.
- lqdc13 10y ago
  How can it possibly be illegal? I can understand if it's a public newspaper, but private media companies can do whatever they want. Like are you going to fine a movie studio for having an actor in a movie drinking Coca-Cola or driving a Volvo? Which specific laws are banning this practice in Sweden for private entities?
  - belorn 10y ago
    > are you going to fine a movie studio for having an actor in a movie drinking Coca-Cola or driving a Volvo? Just a few months ago a case was started in Sweden based on such situation. The movie studio got hit by breach of contract by the publisher along with charges of illegal advertisement. > Which specific laws are banning this practice in Sweden for private entities? Marknadsföringslagen (2008:486) is the primary source for laws that regulate advertisement for private entities, however there is actually more. The European Advertising Standards Alliance has a local representation called Reklamombudsmannen, which is a self-regulating entity for advertisement. This one has some support by law, and some support by other means such as black-lists, and can issue fines. Last there is also the International Chamber of Commerce. Publishers in any form of media can also loose the right to publish, which is an automatic granted right which the court can take away. Since TV and radio is attached to spectrum allocation, there is also additional conditions on them in regard to advertisement (which is the reason why the movie studio got hit by a breach of contract in the above case).
CaptSpify 10y ago
If everyone allowed normal ads through, advertisers wouldn't sit back and say "Well done everyone. Time for us to stop doing sponsored stories! Back to the old model!". They'd still be attacking on two fronts. This just prevents one avenue of attack.
- lqdc13 10y ago
  Well, with the current model they would have no other choice if they want to survive and remain free. Realistically though, I have very low expectations for this to actually happen. I know many people who still haven't installed any ad blockers.
  - CaptSpify 10y ago
    Well yeah, "the current model" is the problem everyone is complaining about. Patreon, Kickstarter, micropayments, etc. There are multiple ways for sites to generate revenue that don't involve advertisements.

by lqdc13 10y ago

belorn 10y ago

Which ever publisher that do so hopefully live in a country which doesn't have advertisement laws (and tax laws, if they try to be sneaky with the source of this new revenue). There is currently several cases in Sweden, and I heard similar tales in several other countries including the U.S. I would say that for once, the law is actually catching up with Internet activity that would clearly be illegal if done on a physical paper.

lqdc13 10y ago
How can it possibly be illegal? I can understand if it's a public newspaper, but private media companies can do whatever they want. Like are you going to fine a movie studio for having an actor in a movie drinking Coca-Cola or driving a Volvo? Which specific laws are banning this practice in Sweden for private entities?
- belorn 10y ago
  > are you going to fine a movie studio for having an actor in a movie drinking Coca-Cola or driving a Volvo? Just a few months ago a case was started in Sweden based on such situation. The movie studio got hit by breach of contract by the publisher along with charges of illegal advertisement. > Which specific laws are banning this practice in Sweden for private entities? Marknadsföringslagen (2008:486) is the primary source for laws that regulate advertisement for private entities, however there is actually more. The European Advertising Standards Alliance has a local representation called Reklamombudsmannen, which is a self-regulating entity for advertisement. This one has some support by law, and some support by other means such as black-lists, and can issue fines. Last there is also the International Chamber of Commerce. Publishers in any form of media can also loose the right to publish, which is an automatic granted right which the court can take away. Since TV and radio is attached to spectrum allocation, there is also additional conditions on them in regard to advertisement (which is the reason why the movie studio got hit by a breach of contract in the above case).

CaptSpify 10y ago

If everyone allowed normal ads through, advertisers wouldn't sit back and say "Well done everyone. Time for us to stop doing sponsored stories! Back to the old model!". They'd still be attacking on two fronts. This just prevents one avenue of attack.

lqdc13 10y ago
Well, with the current model they would have no other choice if they want to survive and remain free. Realistically though, I have very low expectations for this to actually happen. I know many people who still haven't installed any ad blockers.
- CaptSpify 10y ago
  Well yeah, "the current model" is the problem everyone is complaining about. Patreon, Kickstarter, micropayments, etc. There are multiple ways for sites to generate revenue that don't involve advertisements.