It is kinda interesting how like every company seems to go through this flow of highlighting that something is an ad (usually even with some differing background color like what Google used to do!), and then they just pull back differentiators more and more until it really is the smallest minimal marker possible
Paragraph two of the article is:
> This means the only differentiator between organic results and the promoted ad is the presence of the small ‘Ad’ banner next to the app icon.
If it's that easy to fail to notice a paragraph, how much easier would it be to miss just the word 'Ad'?
I wasn't there to read the text, the screenshots say everything. Thought I was looking at the wrong pic cause it seemed obvious.
> I wasn't there to read the text, the screenshots say everything.
That's the exact kind of attitude that will make people miss an "obvious" marker.
And I wouldn't call that tiny thing on the third row of text obvious. Even knowing it said 'ad' somewhere, it took me several tries to find it.
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It is kinda interesting how like every company seems to go through this flow of highlighting that something is an ad (usually even with some differing background color like what Google used to do!), and then they just pull back differentiators more and more until it really is the smallest minimal marker possible
They are inching forward closer and closer to the regulators lines to see what they can get away with without rousing the bear.
For sure it seems intentional. I wonder if they used to be more afraid of the FTC.
But it was easier to distinguish with the blue background, don't you agree?
So why remove the blue background then? It just feels deceptive, does it not feel deceptive to you?