All kinds of advertisements pop up frequently, and the close button is very concealed, which induces users to click more
Advertisement pop-ups that cannot be closed, governance still needs to be strengthened (Online China)
When opening applications or using certain application functions, advertisement pop-ups frequently pop up; the pop-up close button is actually an advertisement link, inducing users to click... Nowadays, the flood of advertising pop-ups has become the "psoriasis" in the online world, and it is possible at any time Jumping out of the "dominant screen" is unbearable.
In response, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology launched a six-month special rectification action to rectify violations such as "pop-up information identification is nearly invisible, close buttons as small as ants, page camouflage to hide the sky, and induce clicks to darken warehouses" and other violations that have been complained by users. Application software launches pop-up windows to deceive and mislead users, compulsorily provide so-called personalized services and other issues that infringe on user rights.
"Baping" pop-up window is pervasive
"Mobile apps, computer webpages and even Internet TV will have advertising pop-ups, and some of them can't be turned off. They are really all-pervasive." Speaking of advertising pop-ups, Ms. Lu, who is engaged in software skills training, said that she suffered greatly.
She told reporters that out of work needs, she often broadcasts computer screens online for presentations. In the process, she frequently encountered advertisement pop-ups entering the "dominant screen".
"Once I clicked the close button clearly, I jumped directly to other websites, which involved a lot of undesirable content, and dozens of colleagues who participated in the training saw it, which caused me a lot of trouble." Ms. During the drama, she could endure a few pop-ups, but now it has seriously affected her work, she is very angry but helpless.
It is not uncommon for advertisement pop-ups to "rally dominate the screen", and pop-ups that cannot be closed are even more disgusting.
The "App Advertising Consumer Rights Protection Evaluation Report (2020)" issued by the Shanghai Consumer Rights Protection Commission showed that 58% of the 600 apps it analyzed contained advertisements, and 69.7% of them did not have a "close button."
Not only that, many advertisement pop-ups also hide malicious plug-ins and Trojan viruses, which endanger user information security.
According to industry insiders, some pop-up advertisement publishers and operators will use illegal means to search and analyze Internet users’ online behavior data, tailor pop-up advertisements, implement precise positioning and precise push, and force users to receive or click on the pop-up window. While disturbing the people, it is also suspected of embezzling user information and infringing on personal privacy.
Profit-driven chaos
Behind the chaos of advertising pop-ups, it is driven by high profits.
From a market perspective, although the advertising pop-up window affects the user experience, it is a real cash flow.
At present, many apps on the market are for consumers to use for free. Advertising is an important source of income for these software or platforms. However, pop-up ads such as open-screen ads and page pop-ups are attractive because of their self-opening and difficult-to-close compulsory viewing characteristics. The eye ability even surpasses popular video ads.
According to calculations by industry insiders, taking a 5-second App on-screen advertisement as an example, when a user opens 10 times a day, it is equivalent to watching an advertisement for nearly 1 minute. The large amount of exposure and exposure time accumulated over a long period of time makes it quite The form of advertising display favored by advertisers.
According to statistics, the revenue generated by certain apps such as screen-opening and pop-up advertisements can be as high as 80% of their total advertising revenue.
Faced with a steady stream of revenue, a large number of advertising publishers are eager for the pop-up model.
In order to seize more customers, many advertising publishers have begun to squeeze the ball and use various bad operations to improve the so-called "market competitiveness."
A user of an online audio App complained that there were 7 pop-ups in less than 2 minutes from opening the screen to playing the program, and the close button sometimes "wouldn't work".
What's even more outrageous is that clicking the "Ad-free" button will directly jump to the member purchase page. After returning again, the advertisement pop-up window is minimized and "printed" on the page, and the closing logo is not found at all.
The reporter found that most of the current advertising pop-ups have been upgraded to increase the frequency of pop-ups, disguise the close button and other similar "upgrades", with the purpose of making users "cannot close".
Some advertising pop-ups have closed signs that are deliberately reduced and are very hidden and difficult to find. Some simply don't have closed signs, and users can only "stare".
What's more, give users a "Ecstasy", set up multiple fake close buttons, and accidentally click on the pop-up advertisement link, becoming a "booster" for the realization of App traffic.
Take multiple measures to eliminate "psoriasis"
In response to many problems in advertising pop-ups, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other regulatory agencies have carried out several rectifications in recent years, and achieved certain results.
The data shows that in the second quarter of this year, the number of complaints about App opening pop-up information dropped by 50% from the previous quarter, and the problem discovery rate of the top 100 apps that are used to open the screen information is difficult to close has dropped from 69% to 1%, and the use of pop-up windows to mislead users to click and jump The problem of redirecting to third-party pages dropped by 80% year-on-year.
However, judging from the actual feedback of users, after each rectification, the advertisement pop-up windows that cannot be closed will soon "resurrect" and become a stubborn disease that plagues users.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently released the 7th batch of 2021 “look back” notifications on the issue of harassment of users by app opening pop-up messages. It involved 14 apps including Meiyou, Buduoduo, and LeTV Video that did not strictly implement the rectification requirements.
Although the Advertising Law, the "Interim Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising" and other relevant laws and regulations have formulated corresponding norms and punishment standards for advertising pop-ups, most users have no better solution except complaints and complaints about the intrusion of pop-up ads. Method.
Internet industry insiders said that the current advertising pop-ups mainly rely on a single way for users to report in actual supervision. However, most users do not know how to report, and some pop-ups are even more difficult to find the source and it is difficult to achieve efficient supervision.
"Advertising pop-ups should follow a multi-pronged, multi-measured governance approach." Zhang Tao, director of the China Market Supervision Society, suggested that relevant departments should continue to strengthen supervision and continuously expand user reporting channels and smooth mechanisms, and carry out regular or irregular operations. Special rectification actions have seized the initiative to capture and rectify Internet illegal pop-up advertisements.
In addition, industry experts believe that strengthening supervision is only one part of the control of advertising pop-up chaos.
Relevant departments must further advance the refinement of relevant laws and regulations, establish a sound, scientific and reasonable management and control mechanism, clarify the boundaries of the rights and responsibilities of Internet advertisers, advertising operators, and advertisement publishers, increase penalties, increase the cost of violations, and strengthen Only in this way can we hope to eradicate the "psoriasis" network of advertising pop-ups that cannot be closed by monitoring technology.
Reporter: Jin Chen