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Twitter has acquired the ad-blocker service Scroll in hopes of launching an ad-free subscription service, in a move that could be game-changing for users and advertisers.
According to Search Engine Journal, Twitter will integrate Scroll into its upcoming subscription service. In the meantime, Scroll will go into private beta until the launch and will only be available to existing subscribers.
What is Scroll?
Scroll is a service that partners with news publishers to remove ads from news sites in exchange for a fee of $5-per-month. Scroll’s mission is to help publishers earn more revenue than what they would otherwise make through advertising.
In exchange, subscribers gain access to hundreds of top news sites ad-free.
So why join forces with Twitter? In a blog post, Scroll explained that Twitter’s dedication to maintaining a sustainable journalism ecosystem was partly why they decided to move forward with the acquisition.
“Twitter exists to serve the public conversation. Journalism is the mitochondria of that conversation,” the post said. “It initiates, energizes and informs. It converts and confounds perspectives. At its best it helps us stand in one another’s shoes and understand each other’s common humanity.”
What to Expect From Scroll’s Partnership With Twitter
Scroll will be taking its existing model and scaling it, so all Twitter users can experience the platform without “friction and frustration.” It has also been confirmed that Scroll will be a part of Twitter’s upcoming subscription service.
“…we plan to include Scroll as part of an upcoming subscription offering we’re currently exploring. As a Twitter subscriber, picture getting access to premium features where you can easily read articles from your favorite news outlet or a writer’s newsletter from Revue, with a portion of your subscription going to the publishers and writers creating the content,” said Twitter’s VP of Product, Mike Park.
This is not the first time Twitter has explored the idea of launching a premium version of the platform that would allow users to reduce they amount of ads they’re shown in their feed.
Last year, Twitter announced it would launch a premium access feature and charge users a monthly fee when CEO Jack Dorsey told investors the company is exploring the idea of a Twitter subscription. Earlier this year, Twitter also announced a new “Super Follow” feature that would enable Twitter users to charge followers for exclusive content.
