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mastodon - Link to source

First Meta said pay or consent, and now they've taken it to a whole new level: If you want a less personalized ad experience they will force you to watch ads with 'Ad Breaks'... Could it get any worse?!

On the other hand, the annoying ad breaks could be the solution to stop the endless scrolling?! At least that's how one Redditor is interpreting the change. 😅

When did you decide to leave #META and which alternatives are you using?

Time for alternatives: tuta.com/blog/instagram-altern…

Say hello to uskippable ads on Instagram, unless you pay. Screenshot of Instagram's Ad break.
Screenshot of a Reddit post: "Use Instagram's "unskippable ads" as a reality check to stop scrolling Instagram has these unskippable ad breaks now that force you to stop scrolling for 3-5 seconds. It's designed to force you to consume ads, but I've started using it as a built-in "eject button" for my brain. Usually, the scroll is frictionless (infinite dopamine loop). The unskippable ad creates friction. Instead of waiting for the timer, I use that exact moment of friction to ask myself: "Why am I staring at this?" and immediately close the app. It’s actually become a helpful trigger. Ad appears > Trigger > Close App. It reverses the conditioning. Instead of the ad keeping you there, make it the signal that your session is over. Since doing this, my screen time has dropped significantly, and maybe it sends a message to Meta's algorithm too. Win-win."

Best alternatives to Instagram in 2025 | Tuta

Pay €7.99/month for ad-free usage or pay with your data and see personalized ads? No thanks Meta, we will take neither. In this in-depth guide, we look at the best Instagram alternative in 2025.
Tuta
#meta
in reply to Tuta

Kev Peirce 🇦🇺
mastodon - Link to source
Kev Peirce 🇦🇺
• •

I left #META 6 months ago when they wanted me to upload a video selfie to prove I was over 16. (I'm over 60).

For alternatives, I'm using Mastodon, Pixelfed and Bluesky (Probably not much longer).

The Fediverse is way more cool. 😀

#meta
in reply to Tuta

Lars
mastodon - Link to source
Lars
• •
left Meta a year ago or so, using Mastodon, Pixelfed, Signal and Threema instead. Left Google, Microslop, Amazon and several US streaming services as well. Feels good to store data in the EU and use open source software!
in reply to Tuta

The Drop Bear 2.0
mastodon - Link to source
The Drop Bear 2.0
• •
When I was volunteering on the social media team for the Women’s March4Justice in Australia in 2021 and the levels of misogyny and abuse (but I repeat myself) that we copped were so vile and terrifying. I left and have never been back. the only social media I use now is Mastodon.
This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)
in reply to Tuta

Jonas 🇩🇰
glitchsoc - Link to source
Jonas 🇩🇰
• •
The more adds Meta deploy on Facebook the better. I really don't know anyone who is interested in paying for Facebook and therefore more adds may be the trigger for them to leave. Time will show.
in reply to Tuta

ĞÖKÜ👻👻™
mastodon - Link to source
ĞÖKÜ👻👻™
• •
I'm happy to join all meta apps or other apps, only if they pay me 😊
in reply to Tuta

Xarre
mastodon - Link to source
Xarre
• •
Are there good alternatives to Facebook groups?
in reply to Tuta

Antonio
mastodon - Link to source
Antonio
• •
using instagram through brave browser so to give away less data and not see ads, also the annoyance of the web app blocks me from wasting hours on reels
in reply to Tuta

Λευτέρης Τ.
mastodon - Link to source
Λευτέρης Τ.
• •
seems like a was an ab tester on these. I had these ad breaks on stories and posts for a year now. They indeed remind me to stop scrolling sometimes and close the app xd
in reply to Tuta

Erotic Mythology 🌹
mastodon - Link to source
Erotic Mythology 🌹
• •

Sensitive content

#fediverse #meta
in reply to Tuta

troy_friz_zell
mastodon - Link to source
troy_friz_zell
• •
I left Facebook in 2015 and simply never replaced it. There was nothing there for me. People I met in school are almost all horrible and my family has my phone number if they need anything.
in reply to Tuta

Nicole Parsons
mastodon - Link to source
Nicole Parsons
• •

On YouTube & Instagram it gets easier & easier to just exit the application when the 1st ad appears.

The interruptions are tedious & the spyware surveillance of adtech just encourages the practice of departure.

eff.org/deeplinks/2026/03/targ…

bloomberg.com/news/articles/20…

wired.com/story/gravy-location…

eff.org/deeplinks/2025/01/onli…

wired.com/story/how-pentagon-l…

krebsonsecurity.com/2024/10/th…

netzpolitik.org/2025/databroke…

theregister.com/2025/06/30/opi…

theintercept.com/2022/04/22/an…

wired.com/story/google-dv360-b…

404media.co/eskimi-2/


How the Pentagon Learned to Use Targeted Ads to Find Its Targets—and Vladimir Putin

Meet the guy who taught US intelligence agencies how to make the most of the ad tech ecosystem, "the largest information-gathering enterprise ever conceived by man."
Byron Tau (WIRED)
in reply to Tuta

BestReptile 🦎
mastodon - Link to source
BestReptile 🦎
• •
About 4 years ago.
I use Pixelfed, Loops, Ghost, BookWyrm, and Mastodon, and I'll be trying out GoToSocial soon.
in reply to Tuta

Tina Kolesnik
mastodon - Link to source
Tina Kolesnik
• •
I post to pixelfed - it's still quiet there, but that was the lure for me. pixelfed.org/

Pixelfed - Decentralized social media

Learn more about Pixelfed, the free and open-source decentralized photo sharing social media platform
Pixelfed
in reply to Tuta

The_Universality
mastodon - Link to source
The_Universality
• •

Moved away when I've fully switched to Linux.

I hadn't really used Instagram of Facebook at all, to be honest, I only had the accounts.

But it was the most satisfying last interaction with Meta while I was deleting the IG and FB accounts.

As satisfying as was deleting Microslop account.

in reply to Tuta

Pamela Barroway – Biz Editor
mastodon - Link to source
Pamela Barroway – Biz Editor
• •

Hey, what are your recommendations for viable FB group-like alternatives? Why I'm asking:

mstdn.social/@PamelaBarroway/1…

Pamela Barroway – Biz Editor (@PamelaBarroway@mstdn.social)

#Resistance fam, I come looking for suggestions! My friend who runs a NJ grassroots group has been suspended by FB from the primary FB group pg ...
Pamela Barroway – Biz Editor (Mastodon 🐘)
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