Introducing Pay or Consent on Mumsnet

[BeckyAMumsnet]

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:

1. Continue for free with cookies and ads: this is the option that most people have enabled already.
2. 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.

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.

I had no idea that this is how I’m viewed by you.

Definitely something to ponder.

I also didn't realise that rejecting cookies was considered unfair usage by MN. Using an ad blocker, I can almost see the point with that, but cookies??

Gosh, that's interesting about the 'rejecting cookies' thing. I always reject on any website. I thought it was as a result of that new GDPR ruling when you actively had to consent to use, rather than they assume as default. I thought I was exercising my rights. I didn't realise I was piggybacking unfairly. Well, that's me told!

Also, I don't use an adblocker here, but fair play to anyone who does. You crack on. I didn't even notice your piggybacking!

Allow me to paraphrase:

"You know how our ad stream is so poorly managed that it's riddled with malware? We've decided that rather than fix that you now have to either accept the browser hijack attempts and drive-by downloads, or pay us."

Or, more succinctly, "Nice web browser you have there. It'd be a shame if something happened to it."

I can’t believe you’ve posted this now after everything that’s just happened.

I do not currently, and will not, give consent for cookies to harvest my data. I also will not pay a subscription fee to access this website so looks like I won't be using Mumsnet in the future. Expect others will feel the same.

What a pity a more creative solution isn't being considered to be more commercially viable rather than charging your users/selling our data. Disappointing.

I think the model you are proposing stinks, and I have unsubscribed from (or no longer visit) websites that use this approach

I’d say that’s the end of me and mumsnet.

Especially after the night watch fiasco this week.
Nice profiteering attempt though.

Well yes, Justine fondly referred to these people (not an insignificant number of users I imagine) as "freeloaders"

GDPR options allow you to opt out of your personal data being used (for monetisation).

The functional cookies will still be stored as things like Login don't work without them.

IME people don't block ads on sites if the ads are not intrusive, disruptive and sometimes wholly innappropriate in content.

I am very careful who l give my bank details to

Cheerio then!

We are all freeloaders! Unless you're one of those that pay for "Premium". Freeloading is the model that the internet is built on. MN should just be upfront and make the whole site a subscription-only thing, and then they won't have any freeloading piggybackers who are offensive enough to refuse cookies.

I don’t want cookies that can continue to access my device for literally years. This is what they were doing when we used to have to go through manually and reject them, before we lobbied hard for a 'Reject All' button.

i routinely reject all cookies on every site and I use an ad blocker.

So I guess that’s the end for me and Mumsnet 🤷‍♀️

Yeah, after 23 years I think I might be done.

Ha I thought the same thing !

priorities of Mumsnet hey . You would think they would have more important things to focus on , like keeping the site safe ..

maybe the £2.99 might be going to pay for proper night staff rather than volunteers …. Or maybe not 🙄

Genuine question: instead of using the money from Premium for campaigning, why aren’t you using it for fixing glitches on the site and paying moderators?

We are all freeloaders!

ha - yes. This is deffo our 'I'm Spartacus!' moment.

Oh wow. I always reject websites that "insist" on my consent. That's abusive and boundary pushing as it's not really consent is it?

Perhaps I've been on the Relationship board too long... 🤔

When/where was that?

I actually learnt about ad blockers on MN. After being on several threads where people complained about ads I finally dared to follow the advice to install one of those strange things. I still have no clear idea how it works - but for years I’ve only remembered that there are adverts here when another poster alludes to them. (I wish I could confidently state that MNHQ people were amongst those assuring me ad blockers were safe to install and would change my life - but it’s too long ago.)

Ho hum. I’m on my nine hundred and thirty third thread - on the one hand planning the vast three day, five venue celebration that must occur when I reach my one thousandth, on the other, well … that’s surely long enough to have spent anywhere …

Excellent timing.

They've come out with that before. It doesn't get any less fucking cheeky with repetition.

I guess we're just cash cows, one way or another. And here was I thinking there wouldn’t be any site at all if not for its users.