Instagram is testing a new controversial feature that makes it impossible for users to skip certain ads on their feed When you encounter these ads, it displays a timer that prevents users from scrolling past until full time, similar to how ads work on youtube

The company confirmed to techcrunch that it is testing ads that can't be skipped after screenshots of the feature began circulating on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) this week The following message pops up when users tap the "Ad Break" icon at the bottom of Instagram as they scroll through stories and posts, and for more information on the countdown timer when they can start scrolling again"Ad Break is a new way to show ads on Instagram In some cases, you may need to show your ads before you can continue browsing

Instagram is still in testing phase, so it's unclear whether it will eventually deploy an ad break to all users "We are constantly testing formats that can increase the value of advertisers," a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch As we test and learn, we will provide updates if this test results in a formal product change

Given that Instagram already shows sponsored posts and ads sandwiched between the content of accounts that users follow, many believe that this some user complaints have already been viral on social media about how these unskippable ads disrupt the viewing experience This is the first time that I have been able to do this If Instagram's role ads occur globally, there could be even bigger protestsAn even more important protest is when instagrammed ads occur globally

On other platforms like TikTok, ads are slotted between videos, but users can scroll past them Instagrammed Instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrammed instagrams Shorts, YouTube's tiktok rival, also allows users to skip ads, but the platform will display ads that can't be skipped on long-format videos for users who don't pay for YouTube Premium Instagram follows the example of YouTube, which appeals to advertisers who are not necessarily happy with it, and users can easily miss adsInstagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrams