Experts Share: How The Rise Of Ads Impacts The Quality Of Online Platforms

Advertising certainly has moved from being just television, radio and newspapers. McKinsey reports that new systems called commerce media networks are driving growth across platforms where people already spend time, such as travel apps, streaming sites and payment services. These networks place adverts directly within digital experiences, turning shopping, booking flights, even using a ride-hailing app, into a marketing opportunity.

The US market for CMNs is expected to reach more than $100 billion by 2027, with an annual growth rate above 21%. McKinsey’s survey of 150 advertisers showed that 55% plan to raise their CMN spending in the next year. Advertisers are moving around budgets to be less social media and search so they display more ads with CMNs, which use first-party data to target people more precisely. This means more advertising is appearing in everyday activities that previously seemed free from commercial messages.

Large names such as Uber, United Airlines, DoorDash and PayPal now run their own media networks. This gives brands the chance to reach consumers through travel, delivery and financial platforms, where purchase intent is already high. Nearly 70% of travel advertisers and 60% of consumer goods companies said they plan to increase their spending in this space.

 

How Are Users Responding To Constant Advertising?

 

Not long ago, Meta announced that people in the UK will soon have to pay to remove adverts from Facebook and Instagram. The subscription will apply across all linked accounts through Meta’s Account Centre.

The company said that in 2024, its advertising tools helped create £65 billion in economic activity and over 357,000 jobs in the UK. Every pound spent on ads through Meta generated an average of £3.82 in revenue for UK companies. Meta argued that the UK’s more flexible rules compared with the EU make it easier to offer users choice without harming business growth.

With adverts appearing on more platforms, users are starting to question whether free services are truly free. Are all these targeted ads and strategies to make users pay for no ads impacting the overall user experience?

As Jason Patterson at Jewel Content Marketing Agency, said: “Advertising makes social media less social, by revealing its fundamental purpose as being commercial. People don’t mind advertising when it’s more attractive or interesting than what’s around it, but that’s rarely the case on social media, where fraudulent ad data makes advertisers believe their s**t don’t stink.”

Experts share their thoughts on this…

 

Our Experts:

 

• Miruna Dragomir, Chief Marketing Officer, Planable
• Peter Murphy Lewis, CEO & Fractional CMO, Strategic Pete, Ella Weddings
• Dana Yao, Co-Founder, Dana Yao Media
• Brian Futral, Founder, The Marketing Heaven
• Andrey Meshkov, Co-Founder and CTO, AdGuard
• Lee Edwards, VP EMEA, Amplitude
• Lewis Godliman, Senior Paid Social Manager, eight&four
• James Taylor, CEO and Founder, Particular Audience
• Piero Pavone, CEO, Preciso
• James Macdonald, Co-Founder and CRO, Limelight
• Suzanna Chaplin, CEO & co-Founder, esbconnect
• Fay Hully, Paid Media Lead, Jungle Creations
• Simon Thorne, Managing Director, EMEA, Flashtalking

 

Miruna Dragomir, Chief Marketing Officer, Planable

 

 

“Meta’s decision to offer ad-free subscriptions is a major turning point for social media platforms all around the world. When people are willing to pay monthly fees solely to escape ads, it shows how much ads have ruined the basic social experience we used to enjoy.

“When I first started using social media for marketing, I remember when ads seemed to fit in better with how people used the site. Many platforms today seem more like advertising catalogues with social aspects than social networks with smart advertising.

“This subscription model confirms what experts in the field have known for a long time: too much advertising and bad targeting make users unhappy to levels never seen before. Platforms have basically turned themselves into a money-making machine that their most active users are now paying to get away from.

“This adjustment will cause headaches for marketers in the short term, but it will also help them in the long run. Our ads may not reach as many people as they used to when they move up to higher levels. But this change means we need to be more creative and use more advanced targeting strategies. It’s no longer possible to run advertising campaigns that reach a lot of people. Now, you need content that is really intriguing and that people want to watch, not just put up with.

“Instead of trying to stand out in a crowded advertising space, smart companies will focus on providing content that is useful and relevant to customers and makes their experience better. This includes knowing what your audience wants, telling real tales, and making sure that branded content is valuable.

“The platforms that do well will be able to keep both advertising and users pleased. Meta’s membership model simply states that their present ad system needs a lot of improvement, which means they have to make ads better for everyone, even if they aren’t subscribers.

“I believe this tendency will greatly alter social media usage. Marketers should stop using interruptive ads and start using earned attention models, where the quality of the content, not the size of the budget, determines how prominent it is. The subscription model will eventually make the world a better place by replacing fleeting impressions with real participation. This will be helpful for both marketers who want to develop actual communities and customers who seek great experiences.”

 

Peter Murphy Lewis, CEO & Fractional CMO, Strategic Pete, Ella Weddings

 

 

“Ads are everywhere on online platforms and even more companies are relying on ads as their primary revenue model.

“Meta’s recent move with subscriptions increasing the ability for ad-free browsing appeared to put pressure on this conversation – clearly a signal to the growing awareness of balancing revenue with a manageable user experience. Going ad-free for a price is complicated.

“While it may attract those who are tired of being interrupted by ads, it may also lead to the further segmentation of online services by income level.

The central question will ultimately be how platforms come up with creative ways to monetise their users without losing them. More relevant non-intrusive ads or valuable add-ons that improve the user experience define the path toward monetisation while maintaining trust of the user.”

 

Dana Yao, Co-Founder, Dana Yao Media

 

 

“Increase in ads make social media quality go down. I have seen Facebook stick unblockable ads popping up on the top right hand corner of the homepage. It is annoying, but it shows how unavoidable ads have become across platforms. This can be seen on TikTok and YouTube too, a few shorts or videos in, up goes another ad.

“To remove ads, these platforms offer a premium membership. People are no longer just paying for content, they are paying for a peace of mind, free of cluttered ads.

“As a blogger, I see both sides. Ads help generate revenue on my platform and keep content free for readers, but I also know how easily they can turn people away. Even I find myself scrolling past ads when I’m reading other blogs because they disrupt the flow of the story.

“The challenge is finding the sweet spot, keeping money coming in without bombarding users with too much noise. I get to choose the ad placement on my website, and hopefully, they will not distract the reader too much while still earning revenue.

“I believe that the social media giants are doing a good job in creating a problem and solution to it with the memberships.”

 

Brian Futral, Founder, The Marketing Heaven

 

 

“With the contemporary digital era, advertisements now just about surround us wherever we look. From streaming sites, to social media, to our very email inboxes, it feels like we just can’t get away from being bombarded by ads. And with recent announcements from Meta (formerly known as Facebook) that they will be offering a subscription free from advertisements, the controversy regarding the impact of ads on the quality of online websites has come into focus.

“The growth of advertisements has indeed been a key contributor to the success and growth of online platforms. It has made it possible for the platforms to be free and profitable at the same time. However, as more and more platforms start using advertisements just to exist, the occurrence of advertisements has become so pervasive that it is now impacting the quality of user experience.

“Perhaps the largest problem that afflicts the prevalence of ads is one of privacy. In order to deliver targeted advertising, sites collect tremendous amounts of personal data. Not only is this an ethical problem, but it makes users susceptible to data theft and identity theft as well.

“Additionally, the usability of online sites has also been compromised due to the continuous bombardment of advertisements. Consumers tend to be flooded with too many intrusive and unimportant adverts that destroy their browsing experience. This results in frustration and diminished trust in the site.

“Moreover, the surge in advertisements has also resulted in a decline in content quality. Under pressure to make as much money as possible, platforms would also compromise on quality and concentrate more on quantity, thus raising the rate of clickbait and misleading content.

“Meta’s step towards offering a subscription with no ads is a step in the right direction as regards these concerns. In allowing users to opt to disregard ads, they are recognising the intrusive impact that advertisements can have on the overall quality of their site. This step also serves as a wake-up call to other sites to reconsider the impact of ads on their own user experience.

“Yet it is also worth noting that though the ad-free option is more user-friendly, it also raises an issue of accessibility. A subscription is not necessarily something that anyone can afford, and this might create some populations being excluded and deprived of access to information and resources.

“In short, the added ads have not only had a negative effect on the quality of online platforms in terms of privacy to a decline in user experience and content quality. While Meta’s action is in the right direction, it is important that online platforms continue to evaluate the impact of ads and prioritise the user experience.

“Whether by implementing tighter ad restrictions or offering lower-priced subscriptions, it is necessary for platforms to strike a balance between profitability and providing an outstanding user experience.”

 

Andrey Meshkov, Co-Founder and CTO, AdGuard

 

 

“The very fact that Meta is now rolling out an ad-free subscription in the UK after being effectively forced to offer the option in the EU due to the GDPR and the Digital Markets Act speaks volumes about how public and political perception of ads is shifting. People are increasingly aware that the rise of online advertising isn’t just annoying, it’s changing the quality of our digital experience, often for the worse.

“At its core, advertising on online platforms has become synonymous with surveillance. Personalised ads don’t just happen, they are fuelled by the relentless collection and cross-referencing of data from countless sources. Meta’s tracking tools, like the Meta Pixel, are embedded across millions of websites, silently building detailed profiles on users often without their full understanding or consent. This isn’t about enhancing your experience. It’s about optimising ad revenue, usually at the cost of your privacy.

“The emotional toll of being constantly surveilled and targeted is not often spoken about but it’s here. Ads are no longer just distractions, they often drag us back to products or topics we’ve mentally moved on from. Algorithms can’t read the room; they don’t know you’ve already bought that pair of shoes or that you’re trying to avoid reminders of something personal.

“As a result, adverts make the social media feed feel less like a personal space and more like an ad display. This directly affects the quality of online platforms in a negative way, and drives people to seek alternatives like ad blockers or paying for an ad-free experience. While some might argue that personalised ads offer relevance, in reality, they often come across as intrusive, repetitive, in short, we believe that for most users, the cons far outweigh the pros.”

 

 

Lee Edwards, VP EMEA, Amplitude

 

 

“The rise of ads across digital platforms marks a pivotal moment for how users experience the online world. Whilst many companies promise that ads won’t intrude on the core user experience, the reality is that every new ad placement subtly changes how people engage with an app or service that may have once felt seamless and ad free.

“Today’s app users are ruthlessly selective about their digital experiences. New research shows that 58% of UK consumers will abandon a brand entirely after encountering problems with its app. Loyalty isn’t guaranteed when expectations aren’t met.

“What’s particularly concerning is the increasing use of behavioural and metadata insights to power targeted advertising. This creates a new layer of friction that can quietly erode trust. It’s not always the big changes that drive customers away – it’s often the death by a thousand small changes that lead to everyday frustration, and eventually, permanent abandonment.

“In today’s competitive landscape, convenience and trust are basic expectations. The challenge for any platform introducing or expanding ads is to ensure the experience remains seamless enough that users don’t quietly slip away to alternatives that better respect their digital boundaries.”

 

Lewis Godliman, Senior Paid Social Manager, eight&four

 

 

“It’s never been easier for brands to create and amplify advertising at scale. This accessibility has fuelled enormous growth for platforms like Meta, whose ad business makes up around 98% of total revenue. But the result for users has been swathes of formulaic ads, with repetitive targeting serving the same products to the same demographics.

“Audiences are increasingly intolerant of low-quality content: 70% of TikTok users say they want content that “doesn’t feel like an ad.” And with average view times under 1.7 seconds, uninspired creative is quickly punished.

“Meta’s ad-free subscription is largely a regulatory workaround, following European rulings on personal data use, and it’s unlikely to drive mass audience loss. But behaviour is shifting.

“The age of passive scrolling is over – users seek original, engaging content with intent, and this has already driven the rise of TikTok, social search, as well as the growth of community led forums such as Reddit. I can only see this trend expanding in coming years.”

 

James Taylor, CEO and Founder, Particular Audience

 

 

The “enshittification of the internet” is a term that seems to get used more and more frequently.

“We don’t want pop ups, we don’t want spam, and we don’t want ads.

“At the same time: We don’t mind a discount, we don’t hate emails from aspirational sources and we don’t mind clicking when we love what’s been suggested to us.

“Meta will get its no-ad subscribers. Social media is part of our muscle memory. It’s an adopted habit, so it’s not crazy to imagine that people will pay for it.

“But for most of us who don’t pay, since we’re happy to take a few ads in return for a free service, ad density is a real problem. Ad density becomes an issue when a platform needs to simply add moreads to increase their revenues, and platforms are under pressure from investors to do just that.

“When ads are relevant, they can perform better without needing the brute force of volume. This doesn’t work well for user experiences over time.

“Google famously tested the long term impact of too many ads, and it is what led them to reduce the number of ads on mobile. Meta has clearly hit a similar ceiling.

“As retail media proliferates across retailers, the same questions are popping up around whether a retailer should or shouldn’t put ads on their websites. The reality is eCommerce is already pages full of ads. Which products you do or don’t click on are indistinguishable from ads. Successfully introducing supplier funding into the ranking cocktail of eCommerce search results ultimately comes down to the same concepts of relevancy that make an organic eCommerce experience good or bad. Technology matters, and relevancy matters.”

 

Piero Pavone, CEO, Preciso

 

 

“Meta’s move came as a surprise to me, because advertising on social platforms is not overly intrusive, nor should it be. If advertisers use native formats that blend in seamlessly with the content around the ads, then advertising doesn’t need to be intrusive and can actually add to the overall experience. This is what hundreds of publishers running native ads on our Ultima platform have found since we launched the solution earlier this year.”

 

James Macdonald, Co-Founder and CRO, Limelight

 

 

“Ads or no ads, that is the question , both from a commercial perspective as well as the user’. This is not a new thing. The Times and Sunday Times made a decision to go behind a paywall some years back. Spotify, and other platforms, offer the option to remove ads for an upgraded subscription. I personally think ads actually can and do add value if curated and managed in the right way by the publisher/platform but that’s another article in itself.

“In Meta’s case, it’s definitely a very real issue, as it’s clear the intrusive and indiscriminate nature of some of the targeting and creative, not to mention the content itself, really can dilute and affect the quality of the experience. On the other hand, for Meta to deliver many of the services it does , it kind of needs to be paid, so as ever, it’s a trade-off, and one that applies to many other publishers. In a nutshell, advertising economically powers the service and enables the platform to provide free access for the user, and Meta wouldn’t even exist today if Facebook hadn’t used ad revenues to build its business.

“In Meta’s case. I’d also hazard a guess that external pressure to better manage what has become a bit of a “Wild West” scenario has pushed them to make what is ultimately a headline-making play by offering a “subscription equals no ads” option. One thing you can be sure of is that Mark Zuckerberg and his team will keep a close eye on the bottom line and that’s ultimately what will decide how this will play out.”

 

Suzanna Chaplin, CEO & co-Founder, esbconnect

 

 

“Meta’s ad-free subscription simply recognises human nature: no matter how creative your ad is, some people just don’t want to see ads. And if I’m being cynical, the announcement might be due to Meta’s aggressive targeting and a high level of complaints. People feel ther privacy is being breached when they say something out loud, and suddenly they see ads for it on Instagram…it’s clear they are listening.

“Or you type something in a WhatsApp message and randomly see an ad for it…despite being told your data is encrypted. Or you click on an ad for a pair of shoes and all you are served for the next week is ads for shoes from every man and his dog. It’s not the ads themselves that are at fault, but rather the platform monetising advertisers’ desire to get a consumer’s attention. Maybe this should signal to advertisers that social is noisy, and perhaps there are better places to spend your money to acquire new users.”

 

Fay Hully, Paid Media Lead, Jungle Creations

 

 

“Meta’s ad-free subscription model signals a major shift in how users and advertisers will interact on social platforms. As more users choose to opt out of ads, audience sizes will shrink and CPMs are likely to rise, hitting large-scale and luxury brand advertisers hardest. Smaller brands that perform well organically may benefit, as organic visibility remains unaffected.

“This shift will likely drive greater investment in organic social strategies and push brands to connect more authentically. As targeting becomes more expensive and less effective, we can also expect budgets to move toward platforms like TikTok or Snap, or channels such as search and OOH, where there are fewer limits to audience accessibility.”

 

Simon Thorne, Managing Director, EMEA, Flashtalking

 

 

“The rise of online advertising is raising the bar for digital platforms. As audiences become more discerning, platforms and advertisers are being pushed to elevate their approach, moving from disruptive formats to experiences that are relevant, contextual, and valuable.

“The growth of online advertising is changing what users expect from digital platforms. As intrusive or low-quality ads become more common, platforms are being challenged to maintain a high-quality experience. This shift creates an opportunity for platforms and advertisers to innovate, focusing on relevance and thoughtful design rather than volume. Meta’s introduction of a subscription option without ads underscores a broader trend, demonstrating that enhancing the user experience can coexist with innovative monetiSation strategies.

“The next chapter of digital advertising will not be about who shouts the loudest but who shows up with purpose.”