Tell HN: Facebook Messenger is testing in-call video ads

[dindindin]

A few minutes ago I was calling my family, and had a 15-second video ad after they picked up. According to them, they saw the ad too.

Do you think this is a case of A/B Testing, or are the ads here to say?

Picture for reference: https://imgur.com/a/ddddPAm

[kevinsundar]

Assuming this is true, who comes up with ideas like this?

If I was an advertiser do I really want to pay to have my ad (video nonetheless) shown to someone while they're actively trying to have a phone call? As a user, I'd just be pissed off at the advertiser plus im not looking at my screen when talking.

I guess technically this increases ad "views" metrics. But advertisers are just wasting their money. I hope the fact that Meta is testing changes like this causes advertisers to re-evaluate the risks of using FB advertising.

[3D30497420]

A PM who's been given a metric goal and has their performance staked on hitting goal with nothing to counter-balance their push to hit that goal.

I recall a presentation someone gave awhile back which said something like, "Give a PM a goal that their job depends on and they will burn the company down to hit it."

I was a PM at a FAANG in a former life, so I can understand the pressure. Thankfully, I never did anything like this, partly because my team had a strong focus on customer experience but also because I cared less about the financial/promotion incentives.

[burkaman]

I am certain the advertisers love this. All ads are intrusive, and generally the more intrusive the more expensive.

[gotfork]

This looks like the layout for the "Watch Together" feature: https://messengernews.fb.com/2020/09/14/feel-together-messen...

There's a bottom section that slides up and if a user clicks on one of the videos it will play for all participants. If anyone sees this and didn't intentionally click on one of those videos please file a bug!

[ajsnigrutin]

I wonder what would happen if there would be more "Karens", that would complain about this?

Looking at the screenshot, let's say it's a cat food ad... if that "Karen" would call the cat food company and complain that their ad wasted her time with an old relative, or whatever, and in turn waste that companies time... and multiply that with 10.000 karens,... but it needs people to actually be proactive about stuff like that.

[junga]

Ads are often (if not always) shown to users who are actively trying to do something else. Like watching a video or reading an article. Why should this be different?

[tapoxi]

Look I get that people love to shit on Signal because its not perfect, but this is the main reason I use it to call and message my family. It's a viable alternative to insane shit like Messenger and you should consider having your family members install it. It's incredibly easy to use.

Cue someone below me talking about how they set up a Matrix or XMPP server for grandma and its 'so easy' once you get the presence handshake working and if you're using a specific set of clients that support the right features.

[ceejayoz]

Is there a reason Signal couldn't put ads in their video call product?

[whimsicalism]

This makes 0 sense to me. There's literally no lock in with FB messenger.

The second I get a video ad - that's it for FB video calls for me.

[apetresc]

What do you mean? It's a messaging platform with built-in integration to the largest social network in the world. I couldn't possibly imagine a more textbook example of lock-in.

[Yhippa]

This is interesting. It sounds like Facebook is potentially looking under the couches, so-to-speak, for spare change by doing this. I also wonder if other comms apps are going to be doing this too?

[joshstrange]

Zoom has the audacity to show me (a paying Zoom subscriber) ads in the UI and at the end of calls. It's infuriating, even more so since it's ads for nothing I'd ever consider using.

In UI: https://cs.joshstrange.com/zTpdlC

End of call, always on top, popup: https://cs.joshstrange.com/BizVwE

EDIT: I get that it's less offensive since it's a "first-party ad"/"upsell" and I could forgive the banner in the app (even though dismissing it only makes it go away for like 24 hours, if that) but the popups post-meeting drive me bonkers. To the point I've considered seeing if I can write some code to watch for that window and kill it right away.

[i_have_an_idea]

If it's true, it's a hilariously bad decision

[ugjka]

Coming to Whatsapp soon

[ahahahahah]

It's not.

[theCrowing]

that's amazing... there are people in a meeting room at facebook believing this will increase revenue and the product owner of fb messenger said yes. lol

[ergonaught]

Because consumers have a stellar track record of rejecting user-hostile decisions?

May as well try it. People are swallowing everything else.

[otikik]

If the meeting was virtual they could "enjoy" being interrupted by their own adds. Dogfooding!

[victordmor]

I don't think that said PO said yes naturally, I think he said yes forcefully.

[johannes1234321]

Just tells you a lot a lot what to expect in Metaverse and the experience there.

[srveale]

We use fb for the family calls. This will add years to the project of being able to get grandma on a call without difficulty and I'm not sure she has that kind of time. I'm only half joking.

[barbs]

Might I suggest Jitsi? We've used it with success with our older relatives.

https://meet.jit.si/

[MonkeyMalarky]

Bonus points if the ad preceding your next conversation is uncannily relevant to what you were talking about last time.

[MandieD]

Some chipper, go-getter PM forgot that not every call is a light, happy call.

[LinuxBender]

Wait, what? On a private person to person call? Curious if this will be a thing on cell phone calls next. This seems like a great way to kill off a platform.

[tomschwiha]

Its a win-win. Less bandwith costs -> cost reduction. Higher revenue. More, more money.

Sounds like someone deserves a promotion. Just look at the right numbers for your arguments.

[altruios]

...what?

[jsemrau]

Interesting find. One might argue that ad-tech went too far on this one if they are tracking conversations to place the "right" ads. Some random thoughts: Would the ad be different for caller / recipient? Why would an advertiser place their ad there while there are "safer" places on Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Disney, etc? Are ad-tech business models at the end of the innovation cycle? What's coming next?

[yrgulation]

I am curious tho. How do people expect that these companies pay for the underlying infrastructure? If you dont want to pay a monthly fee, you dont want them to monetise with ads, how do you imagine they cover running costs? I dont like facebook or intrusive ads, but i wouldnt mind paying for a service that lets me connect with friends, make calls, store photos, and join groups, but doesnt sell me ads.

[user3939382]

That’s a f no from me dawg. They can add this to every video service out there and I’ll happily set up a SIP PBX. Not happening.

[barbs]

Seems like a terrible idea. As others have pointed out, there are plenty of alternative platforms at hand that you can use for videochats, and I can't think of any that show intrusive video ads like this.

In the past, I've used Jitsi for when Facebook Messenger wasn't working for whatever reason.

[Grothendank]

This is reminding me of the demise of AOL. Suddenly ads were everywhere. Then AOL was nowhere.

[vondro]

Yes, I think that is actually great idea and should be rolled out to everybody!

I hate using messenger but some people I communicate with still prefer it. If this is rolled out, they will surely move to other platforms.

[rejectfinite]

Time to move the family chat to Telegram.

[woofwoofwoof]

It is slowly adding ads as well. Currently in the channels only, but just give them some time.

[TheLoafOfBread]

I need to say, that I would probably lost my marbles if video call application would do anything like that.