It’s nearly impossible to completely avoid ads today, and as you browse Facebook or scroll through TikTok, you’re bound to find yourself inundated by them. While we eventually get used to them (well, to an extent), it’s still always a bit jarring when ads suddenly invade a new corner of our lives — remember all the backlash whenads came to Android TV? Get ready for another period of adjustment, as we learn that Uber is adding some quite lengthy video ads to its apps.
Uber users will soon see video ads across all of the company’s apps, including its recently acquired alcohol sales platform Drizly, as reported byThe Wall Street Journal. While waiting for a ride, users will be presented with an ad up to 90 seconds long. They will then be served anotherpersonalized adwhen riding in the vehicle — the company plans to install tablets in cars in select cities, so the ad can play even if users look up from their phones.
As Uber Vice President Mark Grether puts it, “We have two minutes of your attention. We know where you are, we know where you are going to, we know what you have eaten… We can use all of that to then basically target a video ad towards you.”
These video ads will also appear on Uber Eats andDrizly. Upon placing an order, the Uber Eats app will play video ads until the customer receives their order. As well as running them in its search results, Drizly will feature them in other areas of its website and app.
As a small saving grace, the audio for these ads will be muted by default, with the exception of the rideshare tablet installed in cars — but riders can mute those manually. According to a spokeswoman for Uber, users can opt out of receiving ads based on their behavior, gender, ride history, and demographic data, and the company says it won’t share that data with advertisers. However, users cannot avoid these ads entirely, so it doesn’t sound like there will be a “skip ads” button.
What we haven’t seen mentioned yet is how this might affect Uber Pass, the $25 monthly subscription that conveys benefits across all Uber apps. Will those who pay a premium for Uber still be subjected to these same, long ads as everyone else? We’ve reached out to Uber for comment, and will update this article if we receive a response.
