Reddit is the so-called "front page of the internet," and it's trying to remain that way.
In an era where advertising runs the "free" internet, they can come in many forms, and can include the obvious banner ads, links to the less obvious ones, like native ads. There is no easy way to avoid having ads being shoved to the face each and every time.
Usually, people would either opt to pay upfront to subscribe to something in order to get rid of the ads, or use ad blockers.
Reddit is trying to be reasonable.
Instead of forcing ads to users (or forcing them to find ways to avoid them), the platform wants to give users a choice.
In a post on Reddit:
Once the feature is available, users will see a 'Hide' option for ads appearing in their home or subreddit feeds.
Choosing to hide an ad will make Reddit "automatically hide future ads from that advertiser account for at least a year."
If a hidden ad reappears after the initial period, users will have the ability to hide it again.
Like most online platforms, Reddit serves targeted ads based on user activity and preferences.
According to a dedicated support page, Reddit determines which ads to show based on factors such as the content users engage with, account details, clicked ads, general location, and more.
However, ads can be intrusive for some users, which is why Reddit is introducing more control over ad visibility. The platform has announced that this new feature will roll out gradually across both mobile and web versions.
This update builds on last year’s introduction of ad filters, which allow users to limit ads from sensitive categories like alcohol, dating, gambling, politics, and activism.