Unlabeled ads plague X's user timelines; concerns grow amid confusion
Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) is reportedly under fire for not properly labeling ads in users' feeds. ATechCrunch report indicated that over the last several days, numerous ads have appeared on user timelines without the standard "Ad" label. This is potentially causing confusion and mistrust among users as they struggle to find out if a post is paid advertising or a native one. It could lead to further regulatory trouble for X with the US's Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
User raises issue on platform
Watchdog group urges users to report instances they encounter
FTC violations loom over X's stealth advertising
The presence of unlabeled advertising on X puts the company at risk of violating FTC regulations and alienating users who may mistakenly believe they are seeing posts from accounts they don't follow. Industry groups and watchdog organizations have brought attention to this issue, highlighting the potential for mistrust among users. X, which no longer has a functioning communications department, is yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter.
How to check if a post is paid promotion?
It remains unclear whether the unlabeled ads are due to a bug or an intentional change by the company. However, users have voiced their frustration with stealth ads on X, as these posts are not labeled as ads and can cause confusion. By simply clicking the three-dot menu of the post, users can instantly check whether the post is a paid promotion. The paid post/ad will provide engagement options like "Not interested in this ad" or "Why this ad?"
Another user voicing frustration on X
Issue follows X's change in ad labeling
The issue with the ads probably stems from a July update by X to its ad labeling format. Earlier, the platform offered a more prominent "Promoted" label at the bottom of the ads, with an arrow icon right above the post's interaction buttons, such as reply and retweet. Following the update, only the word "Ad" appears at the top-right of a post, adjacent to the account name and @username. According to some critics, this placement makes the ads less noticeable.
