Consumers Prefer Ads Over Paid Services But Voice Concerns On Suspicious Ad Tracking

More and more consumers feel the internet wishes to be a platform that’s free for all. However, that can come at a price in the form of advertisements which many have poor tolerance for.

See the major problem stems from the fact that nobody wants to spend money on paid services and they’re suspicious about the way ads are rolled out, voicing greater concerns about ad tracking.

At most, you’ll find generous viewers giving out their email addresses in return for a discount perhaps but that’s as much as you’re going to get.

Consumers and their reluctance to accept ad tracking

In general, we’ve seen more and more members of the public accept the fact that advertising is the primary source of funding for those that provide online content. After all, a staggering 89% felt they’d view ads any day than pay to gain access to any app or social network.

A recent survey highlighted how males were more willing to pay than females, where 16% of men would pay for their ad-free endeavors.

In the same way, a common trend observed was how most consumers would prefer to steer clear of ad tracking technologies. These were focused on customized ad messages sent out to users.

Just the thought of being tracked down or hunted so a particular message about an ad product could be sent out to you based on your preferences was mind-blowing to some, who question why such strategies exist in the first place. And we’re talking a good 70% of the majority.


These statistics from the survey showed how similarly they aligned with data taken through industry surveillance, which proved how only 25% of iOS users enabled the tracking option on their ATT feature.

The results of this move have already begun taking a toll on social media and the advertising results it generates. For instance, we saw a massive 30% decline in purchases over the Meta platform by Tinuiti advertisers. And that’s because Meta has been limited from tracking down and reporting user data, thanks to Apple’s ATT.

But the survey highlighted that those that actually opted for an ad-free experience were more willing to take part in tracking by advertisements. And it’s not a response as these results were more common for millennials or Gen Z than their older cohort counterparts.

Tracking - a nuisance but a necessity in today’s time

The survey further went about asking consumers how they felt about ad tracking. Many shared their insights on how they were well aware that it’s necessary for today’s time but still they can’t help but get over the fact that it’s a nuisance of a whole new kind.

Many felt retargeting campaigns were not only invasive but a necessity technique that they’d have to overcome if they chose to use the internet’s services for free.

Common responses were related to how creeped out so many people felt, time after time, knowing that ads were literally tracking them down or following them. And that’s when 43% felt they were willing to live with it, only if they could continue to use the web’s services without any additional paid cost.

Clearly, the overlap between people’s mindsets is worth a mention as these are two extremes of the spectrum. But it was also interesting to see how there were 24% who were less concerned about the ads retargeting them than they were about others seeing which ads they would be more interested in.

All in all, it’s not a major surprise to see that those willing to accept ad tracking are actually aware of their many benefits such as serving as helpful reminders, and the biggest one of them all- getting free content.

Read next: Here's What Consumers Feel About Their Digital Privacy In 2022
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