X, the company formerly recognized as Twitter, has been discovered running unmarked advertisements within users’ Following feeds, according to TechCrunch, which confirmed this firsthand. While scrolling through the Following feed using the Chrome web browser on a Mac, we encountered several unmarked advertisements alongside posts from accounts we follow, as well as properly labeled ads with the “Ad” label at the top right.
The fact that many of X’s ads still carry labels makes identifying the unmarked ones even more challenging.
It remains uncertain whether this issue is a glitch in X’s advertising platform or a deliberate alteration aimed at misleading users into thinking some ads are regular posts from the accounts they follow.
In our testing, we came across a significant number of unmarked ads from accounts we didn’t follow. The only indication that they were ads was revealed by clicking on the three-dot menu at the top right of the post. Clicking this menu on an ad presents various engagement options such as “Not interested in this ad” or “Why this ad?” as well as tools to follow, mute, block the account, and more.
Some of the unmarked ads we encountered were from various NFL teams, as per examples provided by a tipster. However, TechCrunch also discovered various other posts that did not display the ad label when attempting to reproduce the issue, although this required a substantial amount of scrolling and clicking.
This ad labeling issue follows an update X implemented to its ad format in July. Previously, X used a more conspicuous “Promoted” label at the bottom of its ads, which included an arrow icon right above the post’s interaction buttons like reply and retweet. Now, the word “Ad” appears at the top right of a post, next to the poster’s name and @username. Some critics have argued that this placement makes the ads less noticeable.
However, despite the change in format, these posts were still technically labeled as ads, and X was not in violation of any rules regarding deceptive advertising practices. This may no longer be the case, as many ads are now appearing in users’ timelines without ad labels.
Jeffrey Chester, executive director at the Center for Digital Democracy, a digital rights and privacy organization, suggested that the FTC should investigate X’s use of stealth ads and review whether deceptive business tactics are involved. He further called for X to release any data gathered from users by itself or its ad partners and proposed imposing fines and sanctions.
The issue of unmarked ads may be ongoing, as there have been reports of this problem before today, with users expressing concerns about the lack of clear labeling for ads in their social media experience.
In addition to potential regulatory investigations, this ad labeling issue casts a shadow on X’s newly appointed CEO, Linda Yaccarino, who joined the company in June. Yaccarino’s hire was intended to signal to advertisers that a responsible figure was overseeing the revenue-generating side of the Elon Musk-owned company. Since her appointment, X has made efforts to attract advertisers, including offering a $250 ad credit and allowing advertisers to choose their “sensitivity” settings for brand safety. However, recent controversies, including disputes with the Anti-Defamation League and declining U.S. advertising revenues, have marred these efforts.
Despite these developments, X no longer maintains a communications department to respond to press inquiries. When contacted for comment, X provided an automated email response stating, “Busy now, please check back later.” Previously, the company had responded to inquiries using the poop emoji.
