Elon Musk’s social media platform ‘X’ is now showing ads that are causing some concerns. Users have noticed a new type of ad that cannot be blocked or reported. These ads don’t have any clear labels indicating that they are advertisements, and they don’t reveal who is behind them. They appear in the user’s feed and when clicked, redirect to a different website, similar to clickbait sites. 

Users cannot like or retweet these ads, and they don’t know which ad network is responsible for them. The content of these ads resembles the spammy and low-quality ads often found at the bottom of websites. Examples of the ad content include messages like “This Seems Unbelievable, But Happens in Dubai Everyday” and “If you suffer from ringing ears (Tinnitus), you’re going to love this recent breakthrough.”

X is having a hard time getting companies to advertise on its platform since Musk took over in April 2022. Half of their biggest advertisers have stopped running ads on the site. The CEO of X, Linda Yaccarino, said that they have welcomed back about 1,500 companies in the past 12 weeks, including 90% of their top advertisers. However, a recent report found that the returning advertisers are spending up to 90% less on X advertising than before Musk bought the business. Another report found that X’s revenue has decreased every month since Musk became the owner. 

To address the decline in ad revenues, X has partnered with other companies in the advertising technology sector to sell available ad space. They have also collaborated with InMobi, a startup focused on programmatic ad sales. Musk has blamed activists for the decrease in ad revenues, specifically mentioning the Anti-Defamation League. X is also testing a subscription service that limits the number of ads seen by users to generate more revenue. They plan to launch three membership tiers for users. X is also experimenting with a new clickbait ad format, but it’s unclear if they will continue using it.

Source: www.livemint.com