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Facebook Messenger gets autoplay video ads and there's nothing you can do about it (UPDATE)

By Cosmin Vasile

Updated: Jun 19, 2018, 7:19 PM

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Facebook Messenger gets autoplay video ads and there's nothing you can do about it (UPDATE)

UPDATE: We've been approached by Facebook's reps who said they are rolling out the video ads very gradually to a very small percentage of people. We also have an official statement concerning this change:

As we shared with advertisers at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, we are now expanding the availability of video ads to Messenger. We will be rolling out video ads gradually and thoughtfully. People that use Messenger are our top priority and they will remain in control of their experience.

Each year Facebook is becoming more aggressive when it comes to monetization of its services, so today's announcement that Messenger will display autoplay video ads inside people's chat windows doesn't really come as a surprise.

In a statement for Recode, Stefan Lukakos, Facebook's ad business guru believes that people will get used to these video ads playing in their conversation windows next to their private messages. However, he claims Facebook's priority is user experience, so things might change if they notice people aren't happy about the change.

Top priority for us is user experience. So we don’t know yet. However, signs until now, when we tested basic ads, didn’t show any changes with how people used the platform or how many messages they send. Video might be a bit different, but we don’t believe so.

Apparently, video ads are being rolled out to a very small percentage of Messenger users since Monday, so chances are that not many will see these ads in their conversation windows unless Facebook receives positive feedback (or none at all).

source: Recode

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Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brought a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.