Long unskippable ads will reportedly be illegal in one country next month
There's one country reportedly taking a stand against the scourge of unskippable ads.
We've all suffered through unskippable, annoying ads online. YouTube watchers, especially, know the struggle.
But Vietnam is working to ease that annoyance. The country has reportedly issued new rules that ban long, unskippable ads, instead limiting the portion you cannot skip to just five seconds, according to tech site Android Authority. The website Vietnam News reported that the new regulations are scheduled to go into effect on Feb. 15.
Wrote Vietnam News: "Under the new rules, viewers must be able to skip video advertisements and moving image sequences within five seconds."
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Obviously, YouTube isn't the only platform that relies on unskippable ads, but it might be the largest platform and most common example. Advertising accounts for a significant portion of YouTube's business and is a primary source of revenue for creators. Google said last year it had paid about $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies over the previous four years.
But users have complained about ads getting worse and more obtrusive. Vietnam moving to limit that pain could prove popular among folks who use YouTube.