Shrugging off data privacy concerns, Facebook adds video ads to Messenger

Despite widespread criticism of Facebook after its recent data privacy scandal, the company has managed to rebound fully enough to add MORE ads.

Yesterday, Facebook announced that it will add auto-play video advertisements into private Facebook Messenger conversations — just a day after the company’s stock hit an all-time high of $199.58.

Shrugging off data privacy concerns, Facebook adds video ads to Messenger

The move, which even the most polite users are calling “annoying,” shows that Facebook’s revenue strategy is still heavily ad-focused, and that Cambridge Analytica is merely a distant memory.

People thought advertisers would ditch Facebook… 

In reality, advertisers started spending even more. In spite of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, advertising spending on Facebook increased 62% in the last quarter. 

But to grow ad revenue (which hit $39.9B in 2017) even further, Facebook needed to find new advertising inventory — so it turned to Messenger.

Ch-ch-changes are coming to Facebook

Just not the kinds of changes you expected. Facebook has blitzed Messenger users with static ads for the past 18 months — now, it will add video ads. But the company doesn’t believe the ads will impact the user experience.

The manager of Messenger’s ad business confirmed that user experience remained a “top priority” — telling Quartz it would introduce video ads “gradually and thoughtfully.”

While the move may be unpopular with the masses, it’s unlikely that it will cut into the business’ bottom line — after all, the company’s revenue growth managed to accelerate despite a seemingly catastrophic campaign to #DeleteFacebook.

Because Facebook does whatever it wants… 

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