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What law would you propose? I think the hard part is "Instagram and TikTok remain free-with-ads."

nerdsniper 1y ago
Would ads still be worth enough if they were targeted based on things like what you watch/read/follow/subscribe to on that platform and your general location? Or can instagram only be free if ads are targeted to detailed profiles of individuals built over decades as they are tracked across the whole internet?
- chronogram 1y ago
  The heavily profiled ads cost a lot more money for the advertiser to run compared to traditional ads, if those platforms turn to contextual ads they do not have their special expensive profiled ads product to sell anymore. So it's not about the perceived effectiveness of advertisements that you feel as a user, it's about the rather more unique product that they sell to advertisers that really raises their revenue.
- troupo 1y ago
  > Would ads still be worth enough if they were targeted based on things like what you watch/read/follow/subscribe to on that platform and your general location? Yes. Targeted ads need to be 100% to 700% more efficient than regular ads to be as profitable: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43996623 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43996623
JoshTriplett 1y ago
Good riddance to everything supported by ads. I genuinely wonder if people would wind up spending less money if they had to pay for services than if they get exposed to ads that lead them to buy more things. But either way, once ads and "free with ads" are gone, there's much more room for other competitors.
- reissbaker 1y ago
  Okay, you think that, but as we've seen even banning TikTok alone is incredibly controversial and ultimately seems to have failed. Banning Instagram and TikTok doesn't seem politically feasible. So what do you do?
- troupo 1y ago
  > Good riddance to everything supported by ads. Ads don't require pervasive and invasive tracking for every breath you take

Would ads still be worth enough if they were targeted based on things like what you watch/read/follow/subscribe to on that platform and your general location? Or can instagram only be free if ads are targeted to detailed profiles of individuals built over decades as they are tracked across the whole internet?

chronogram 1y ago
The heavily profiled ads cost a lot more money for the advertiser to run compared to traditional ads, if those platforms turn to contextual ads they do not have their special expensive profiled ads product to sell anymore. So it's not about the perceived effectiveness of advertisements that you feel as a user, it's about the rather more unique product that they sell to advertisers that really raises their revenue.
troupo 1y ago
> Would ads still be worth enough if they were targeted based on things like what you watch/read/follow/subscribe to on that platform and your general location? Yes. Targeted ads need to be 100% to 700% more efficient than regular ads to be as profitable: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43996623 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43996623

JoshTriplett 1y ago

Good riddance to everything supported by ads. I genuinely wonder if people would wind up spending less money if they had to pay for services than if they get exposed to ads that lead them to buy more things. But either way, once ads and "free with ads" are gone, there's much more room for other competitors.

reissbaker 1y ago
Okay, you think that, but as we've seen even banning TikTok alone is incredibly controversial and ultimately seems to have failed. Banning Instagram and TikTok doesn't seem politically feasible. So what do you do?
troupo 1y ago
> Good riddance to everything supported by ads. Ads don't require pervasive and invasive tracking for every breath you take