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Original poster

To think most of you don’t know Mumsnet are now requiring acceptance of cookie tracking or payment to use the site?

352 replies

OldChairMan · 05/02/2025 13:09

… as MN have only posted in Site Stuff:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/site_stuff/5268190-introducing-pay-or-consent-on-mumsnet?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

Many will click on “Read for free” without realising that this is a change in the site’s terms.

“Hello everyone.

We wanted to give you a heads-up about a change in the way we deal with cookie consent. We are introducing a Pay or Consent model, giving you two different options to continue accessing the site:

• Continue for free with cookies and ads: this is the option that most people have enabled already.
• Subscribe to Mumsnet Premium: For those who prefer an ad-free experience with no cookies/tracking for ad purposes - Besides ad-free you’ll also get first access to our product tests plus all revenues from Premium are put towards our campaigning work

Why are we making this change?

The pay or consent model is becoming increasingly common across online platforms as publishers adapt to changes in advertising levels and data privacy regulations. Like many other publishers, we relied on advertising to generate income but changes in tracking regulation and the growing use of ad blockers have made this model less viable.

We know that Mumsnet is an essential space for many - a place to seek advice, find support, and connect with your fellow Mumsnetters. That’s why we’re committed to ensuring that the site remains free at the point of use for anyone who needs it but it’s not fair that those who install ad blockers or rejected cookies are piggy backing on the back of other users who haven’t.

At the same time as introducing this, we’re going to reduce the price of Mumsnet Premium to £2.99 a month because we want to be fair to those who’d rather not accept advertising cookies. This is less than the cost of a flat white a month from most decent coffee shops and we very much hope you think Mumsnet’s worth it! Nb anyone who’s signed up to Mumsnet Premium already at the previous price (£4.99 per month) will have their payments reduced within the next week or so.

We’ll be here to answer any questions you may have. Thank you, as always, for supporting Mumsnet.”

Introducing Pay or Consent on Mumsnet | Mumsnet

Hello everyone. We wanted to give you a heads-up about a change in the way we deal with cookie consent. We are introducing a Pay or Consent model,...

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/site_stuff/5268190-introducing-pay-or-consent-on-mumsnet

OP posts:
Babycote · 05/02/2025 14:34

Also, I am not a 'content creator' or 'the product'. I occasionally moan about things. I mostly read other people's posts. I don't think my dumb posts mean I somehow get to tell mumsnet how to run its business

HotCrossBunplease · 05/02/2025 14:32

I can’t post a screenshot so I’m going to replicate the pop up that I saw here (square brackets indicate a blue button):

Mumsnet is ad funded

Read for free
[Accept].

Pay to remove Ads
[Reject & subscribe]

Already a Premium User? Login

(In small font, pale grey colour) We and our 181 partners use cookies and similar technologies to store and process personal data, such as unique identifiers and browsing activity, to personalise your experience and advertising.
You can update your preferences or withdraw consent at any time via "Privacy settings" at the bottom of each page. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.

—————-

Then they have dropdowns that explain the various cookie permutations and data processing activities.

Do you see? Cookies are not mentioned before the opportunity to click “Accept”.

It goes on to say you can withdraw consent to cookies. What it is missing is a statement along the lines of “By clicking to accept ads you are also clicking to accept cookies and all previous settings will be overridden.”

I was already accepting them so I don’t know what would have happened here had I had them turned off and clicked “Accept” but I can tell you this- if clicking “Accept” was an automatic change to existing cookie settings it would fail the legal test for transparency. Especially when they are telling people that they can update their preferences themselves.

skymagentatwo · 05/02/2025 14:32

Babycote · 05/02/2025 14:30

Doesn't bother me at all. If you don't want ads, pay. If you don't want cookies, pay. Seems reasonable. It's been communicated clearly and transparently.

Third option install some simple addons to your device and pay nothing. Dont get tracked and dont have your privacy stolen 😅

Babycote · 05/02/2025 14:30

Doesn't bother me at all. If you don't want ads, pay. If you don't want cookies, pay. Seems reasonable. It's been communicated clearly and transparently.

TwentyTwentyFive · 05/02/2025 14:28

Tillow4ever · 05/02/2025 14:26

I read it in friends earlier!

Show quote history

I think this is meant to be that you read it in actives earlier and yes earlier it was definitely showing in actives as that's where I came across the site stuff thread initially. The fact it's now not showing in actives seems very deliberate.

Tillow4ever · 05/02/2025 14:26

*active threads

Stupid phone

Twiglets1 · 05/02/2025 14:26

Thanks for pointing out the cost of Premium has reduced from £4.99 to £2.99. Makes it worth paying for in my opinion so I have signed up for premium 😊

Tillow4ever · 05/02/2025 14:26

TwentyTwentyFive · 05/02/2025 13:12

Am pleased you've posted this in AIBU it seems very deliberate that MNHQ have not only hidden it in site stuff but that it's not showing on active so many people won't actually see the thread.

I read it in friends earlier!

CarlaH · 05/02/2025 14:24

As others have said this is probably the kick up the bum I need. As long as I can access the site with an ad blocker I spend too much time scrolling here. If I am forced to accept ads I won't be here anymore and that will probably be a lot better for my mental health.

ArabellaScott · 05/02/2025 14:23

'b. By uploading User Content to our Website, you confirm to us that it is not confidential and not protected by any trade mark, patent, copyright or any other intellectual property right ("non-proprietary"). By submitting User Content to us you automatically grant to us a worldwide, fully-paid up, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, fully sublicensable, and transferable right and license to use, store, record, sell, lease, copy, reproduce, distribute, create derivative works based upon (including, without limitation, translations), publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, publish and otherwise exploit the User Content (in whole or in part) as Mumsnet, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate forever. '

Users retain copyright, fwiw.

ArabellaScott · 05/02/2025 14:22

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 05/02/2025 13:45

I agree that we're not customers but I disagree that we provide the content. We don't, Mumsnet does. This is their site not ours. They oversee what we post, delete what doesn't fit criteria and manage... because it's their content. They have control of it and that's what makes it theirs.

None of that really matters. It's not our site, we choose to post on it or read it, or not. The advertisers are there for the site traffic, whether we post or not, we're there. That is my understanding of it.

Show quote history

We do provide most of the content; we allow MN to publish it. That agreement will be in the t&cs. It becomes their content - when we agree to post on the site, we sign over some (I assume not all, though I've not checked the t&cs recently) rights to it.

Copyright law gets very complicated, very quickly.

cheezmonster · 05/02/2025 14:22

Workarounds to this are:

  • Privacy badger
  • VPN
  • An ad blocker
  • Use a different/ 'burner' profile when you log in to your browser to use sites like mumsnet (e.g. if you use Chrome, don't use your regular [email protected] account - make a new anonymous browser profile just for sites like mumsnet).

I've been doing all of this for years. It's not just mumsnet that try to harvest data. These are all just sensible precautions to take.

recipientofraspberries · 05/02/2025 14:21

Locutus2000 · 05/02/2025 13:35

We certainly found that out the worst possible way. Christ.

Show quote history

What happened?

butitsobvious · 05/02/2025 14:20

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 05/02/2025 13:38

We don't 'work here for free', we are not 'product' either. We are consented contributors and that's it. Some posters seem to have some puffed-up delusions of their part to play in chatting on a chatboard.

The consent or pay box isn't new, I see it every time I log in.

Show quote history

This. I am hooting with laughter at this thread at people describing themselves as the 'content creators' and the 'product'. My dear God. Yes, that's right you are the non-quality controlled, non-managed, non-edited, non-interviewed, non-employed, non-contracted, non-selected 'content creators'. And each one of you is of vital importance to the site and are not completely and instantly replaceable at all. 🙄

Do get over yourselves.

TheCosyOliveKoala · 05/02/2025 14:19

Most of us know and don’t give a shit.

HotCrossBunplease · 05/02/2025 14:19

wonderingisthisokay · 05/02/2025 14:09

I said YABU simply because of the enormous box that I had to accept cookies on that appeared this morning.

But did it say “Accept cookies” or just “accept ads”?

Mrsbloggz · 05/02/2025 14:16

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 05/02/2025 14:11

This new system of agree to us taking your data or pay for the privilege of not allowing cookies is outrageous, disappointed that @mnhq have jumped on the bandwagon.

Oh come on, it's money for old rope!
They'd be fools not to milk it for all its worth for as long as they can 🤷🏻‍♀️

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 05/02/2025 14:11

This new system of agree to us taking your data or pay for the privilege of not allowing cookies is outrageous, disappointed that @mnhq have jumped on the bandwagon.

butitsobvious · 05/02/2025 14:11

CherryPopShowerGel · 05/02/2025 13:54

I thought most people realised if a site or service or magazine is free to you, it's because your attention is the commodity being sold.

Quite.

medianewbie · 05/02/2025 14:11

If you are a Publisher, are you legally responsible for your published content?

wonderingisthisokay · 05/02/2025 14:09

I said YABU simply because of the enormous box that I had to accept cookies on that appeared this morning.

DiegoVanDamme · 05/02/2025 14:09

RenegadeKeeblerElf · 05/02/2025 13:23

I think this is fair enough - the site costs money to run, therefore needs to generate income from somewhere, which means advertising. I value the experience I get from the site, but don't enjoy it with ads, so choose to subscribe to Premium to reflect the value I get from it. It isn't a charity - why should they provide the service at a loss (which is effectively what is happening for each person who uses an adult blocker etc - they are getting content which is free to them but which costs MN money to provide).

What is it that you come to mn for?

Anything apart from the forums?

Should I be paid for creating content that you are reading?

gamerchick · 05/02/2025 14:08

You know there's nobody forcing you to log in and post here. If you're not happy then you're free to go elsewhere.

Have you seen what you agree to when you visit the likes of the daily mail? That's properly fucked up.

JaneJeffer · 05/02/2025 14:08

I disagree that we provide the content
How can you disagree? If everyone stopped posting right now what would the content consist of?

skymagentatwo · 05/02/2025 14:06

This reply has been deleted

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