Are Native or Natural Ads Ethical?

1. 53

   janderson99posted 10 years ago

   Hubpages has added native ads that masquerade as 'Related hubs'. But they have a grey background and are labelled as ads. [see http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/127468] From today Pinterest has started to do the same with ads that masquerade as pins on various boards.
   
   see http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/29/busin … -ads-.html
   
   "For example, a Promoted Pin from Kraft Foods could show up on a Pinterest board of chili recipes. Early test results were promising with the ad pins being “re-pinned,” or shared by users, an average of 11 times per advertisement." That is users share the ad the ad with friends. This is the holy grail for advertisers, getting ads re-pinned and shared.
   
   "Many social networks, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, have similar so-called native advertising products, or ads that are made to look like the content on the service." On Pinterest this deception or masquerade should be very effective.
   
   Do you think these ads designed to 'trick' users by masquerading as genuine content are ethical or another one of Google's tricks that have caused problems in the past? Google were forced to clearly distinguish ads from search results listings on the SERPS in the past (action by EU).
   
   What would your response be to becoming a victim of such deception? How will it change your view of Pinterest?

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      Solarasposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I think that might piss me off. I don't like being duped into spamming my friends with ads. Especially if I am not the one getting paid to do it.

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   2. 84

      Phyllis Doyleposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I do not like these "deceptive" ads at all. I noticed them in the related hubs section and that really concerns me, for I often click on hubs similar to mine so I can read them. If I am tricked and click on ad on my own page then I could lose my AdSense account. 
      
      I think all hubbers should be aware of these trickster ads so they will not click on them and lose AdSense.

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2. 81

   Millionaire Tipsposted 10 years ago

   I don't like the deceptive ads either.  When I saw one next to the other hubs at the bottom of the hub, it looks almost like one of the other hubs.  Sure, there is a slight difference, but it isn't clear that it isn't another related hub based on the title.  It is false advertising.
   
   I don't mind that the ad is there, just that it is deceptive, as it tries to trick us into thinking that it is just like the other things in the group when it clearly is not.

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      Country Homemakerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with Millionaire Tips.  I don't care that the ads are there, I just don't like the sneakiness.

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   calculus-geometryposted 10 years ago

   I find that the gray background and label provide enough distinction between ad and related hub.  There are websites that present sponsored content much more deceptively.  I think HP is doing a good job with the new ad format.

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      janderson99posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yep, especially since they have now re-labelled 'Related Search' as 'Sponsored Links' - much better!!!

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         Jayne Lancerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I agree with Calculus Geometry, but didn't HubPages say not so long ago that they were planning on doing away with the Related Search/Sponsored Links ads?

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4. 90

   lbrummerposted 10 years ago

   I noticed one of my pages on Pinterest suddenly had about two dozen pictures of Ugg shoes.  I hadn't pinned even one pair of the shoes, but it appeared that I had pinned all of them.  It makes me very angry that they could add items to my personal pins.  I deleted every one of them and wouldn't pin an Ugg shoe now, even if I liked it.  I wouldn't have noticed it except that a granddaughter had repinned one.

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