Want the logo of your favorite team on your Facebook page? How about a holiday-themed pumpkin or turkey? Think long and hard before you download apps that will help you personalize your page, because along with the pictures come a bunch of intrusive ads. Kind of reminds me of that early-aughts trend of getting your car wrapped in advertising in return for car payments or gas money. You get a cheap car, but you have to drive the Aflac duck around.
Usually, when you download software like this, it’s sort of understood that you know the risks your taking on and you’re willing to put up with a few more ads. In this case, however, the ads are fighting for room with Facebook-generated ads, and they’re winning. Facebook is trying to ban software firms like Sambreel from putting “adware” on profile pages. The Wall Street Journal quotes Sambreel’s CEO, Kai Hankinson: “It is a nasty term to call us adware. The term we prefer is ad-supported software.” (or “adware” for short – ed.)
I’m not going to tell you what to do when faced with the life or death question of whether or not to decorate your Facebook page, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when people come up behind you and start quacking, “Aflac!”
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
