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.

No idea where they’d be on the website @Snoopdoggydog123 but on mobile phone site (not app) scroll right to bottom and in the blue area there are a number of links eg Help, Contact Us, Terms of Use. Privacy settings is there.

If I block cookies on my phone I can’t access the site.

but now I have them on then every site I visit isn’t blocked for cookies.

so thanks for that

@Batmanisaplaceinturkey on the app it allows you to reject all cookies in the privacy settings. if Mumsnet want me to now pay I'll leave, I only use the app so hopefully I can stay.

@Snoopdoggydog123 , scroll right down to the bottom - the blue section. Right at the bottom in smaller type there is an option "Privacy Settings". Click on this and you should have the option to Reject All cookies.

I don't have a particular issue with this model, but I do think the timing is insensitive. I was lucky enough to be tucked up in bed on Sunday night, but others who weren't are still reeling from what happened. It would have been kinder to wait a few weeks before introducing a significant change like this.

I felt a name change was appropriate for this!

I have an ad blocker as the ads are just ridiculously intrusive on MN. I've not been blocked from using the site yet, but if I am, I'll just leave.

This feels like a bit of an own goal for MN here. People are already frustrated with the shit tech, let alone being horrified by what happened on Sunday night (and its piss poor response). I think quite a few will be tipped over into leaving with this change.

The link works now however the reject all button just closes the pop up. It's not saving I think.

The day I’m forced to see adverts is the last day I visit. Without posters the site has nothing.

Ive been in MN for 16 years now and have had a few raised eyebrows over some things in the past and I still cannot believe night watch don’t get paid but I feel like things are getting worse and worse the last couple of years with privacy breaches, questionable antics from HQ and a lack of care - and I think privacy in all sorts of ways is becoming more of a problem

A couple of months ago I received an email from MNHQ telling me my post had been reported and deleted.

It was not meant for me but another poster entirely and the email contained the username and email address (which contained the full first and last name) and full reason for reporting of the reporter.
Between the post and the report, I had the name of the reporter and ALOT of identifying information (a lot, that could’ve been very unsafe in the wrong hands) and it was clear that the reported poster and the o e who reported had a particular place in common. The report was very justly deserved but would’ve made the OP v unhappy to know it had been reported and why and then had full access to this persons name and info.

I immediately contacted MNHQ about this breach of identity who took HOURS to respond and on,y responded after I contacted them again asking wtf was the hold up. I contacted the poster whose info I had received to warn them, they had not been told that had happened. The response I received from HQ was…lacklustre at best, I’ll be honest, I don’t know what the other poster received but I was not impressed with how they handled it.

This doesn't surprise me one bit

I've learnt to live with the ads on MN. There have been a few memorable ones like that ghastly one that completely blackens the screen and won't go away, the sex toy one and the Dubai one but reporting them in Site stuff eventually has them removed. Mainly they don't bother me any more and I certainly wouldn't leave MN because of the adverts.

At least you can report them and something is done. Some sites are completely unusable and I don't bother with them.

I think quite a few will be tipped over into leaving with this change

Well, based on the way posters are spoken to when they say they're going, on the Flouncers Corner board, it'll be "meh, see ya!" People are deliberately nasty and rude when posters decide to leave so good luck to anyone who does!

I am trying to close my account, but can't do so without going premium or accepting ads? That's really rather shit.

I don't understand how if this is an economic decision as a result of reduced ad revenue, posters switching to Premium (where you say membership fees goes to campaigns not general revenue) will balance the books.

I also don't understand why this has been presented as if it's a punishment. There's no need to disparage posters who might use ad blocks for a whole raft of reasons, maybe find out why first and try to address that.

In theory, I don't have a problem subscribing if the fee is going to campaigns, because MN campaigns are important and effective, but accusing people of being "freeloaders" and of "piggy-backing" isn't really in the spirit of MN, IMHO.

@BeckyAMumsnet when are you going to address referring to your disabled users as Freeloaders?

Again, adblockers are frequently used by disabled users to reduce visual noise on the screen which can cause sensory overload. This demographic is also highly unlikely to be able to afford to pay for premium.

I must say I find it strange that a thread with so much traffic isn't prominent on active or trending. Or maybe on the basis of how recent events are being managed by Mumsnet, par for the course.

I found it via Active (on the app) just now.

It's definitely not showing up in active for me and others and hasn't been for most of the day although I'm not using the app?

Just checked again. I am on the desktop version. It is way down two screens in load again. Nevertheless, it seems strange given the number and rates of replies above it.

Although, I admit, the algorithm for what ranks postings is impenetrable.

So sorry the millions you made last year wasn't enough. Justine: you've laid waste to what was once a very useful resource. What an incredible own goal.

my mum has just said, “its had its day” so there, now we know, the death toll has sounded

She remembers its inception, a happy good natured site, kept her sane at times apparently,
observed its evolution, despairs of the SAG, predicts MN will not recover from this debacle, but will carry on much depleted of worthy content

She remembers its inception, a happy good natured site 😂 😂 😂

'twas never this.

🐍🐍🐍

They need to explain whether they actually mean that you have to accept cookies as well as ads. It's beginning to look like they don't know the difference. I don't mind seeing a few generic ads (as long as they don't take up half the screen), but I draw the line at being forced to pay to avoid cookies.

This could have been handled so much better. The fact that they are reducing the cost of subscribing should have been a good news story, but the 'freeloading' insults have put an end to that. 90% of the time I come on here to try to help people who have questions about areas in which I may have had experience (property and money stuff mainly), so to be called a freeloader for not accepting cookies (as the original post implies) is a slap in the face.

If they are having issues related to the Online Safety Bill (as well as having to deal with the fallout of what happened on Sunday), then I sympathise, but we are not the problem.

I’ll probably be deleted but I’ve no idea if anything happens to mumsnet where I’d go. I don’t have tattle, instagram or facebook or twitter so I’ll be completely bereft .