Amazon Smart Displays Are Now Being Bombarded With Ads (arstechnica.com)
- Reference: 0179764264
- News link: https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/25/10/12/1942209/amazon-smart-displays-are-now-being-bombarded-with-ads
- Source link: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/10/people-regret-buying-amazon-smart-displays-after-being-bombarded-with-ads/
> The company's Echo Show smart displays have [2]previously shown ads through the company's Shopping Lists feature, as well as advertising for [3]Alexa skills . Additionally, Echo Shows may play audio ads when users listen to Amazon Music on Alexa. However, reports on Reddit (examples [4]here , [5]here , and [6]here ) and [7]from The Verge 's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, who owns more than one Echo Show, suggest that Amazon has [8]increased the amount of ads it shows on its smart displays' home screens.
>
> The Echo Show's apparent increase in ads is pushing people to [9]stop [10]using or even [11]return their Echo Shows.
The article notes Amazon's smart displays have also started showing ads for Alexa+ — and The Verge's reporter [12]saw ads on one (but not all) of her Echo Shows this week . (Even when the display is set to show personal photos, ads sometimes appear for herbal supplements, Quest sports chips, and tabletop picture frames.
Ars Technica notes that users "are unable to disable the home screen ads."
> When reached for comment, an Amazon spokesperson told Ars Technica: "Advertising is a small part of the experience, and it helps customers discover new content and products they may be interested in..." Amazon declined to comment on whether it has increased Echo Show ad loads... [13]According to Amazon , Echo Show home screen ads change based on how close someone is to the gadget. "When the customer is more than four feet away from their device, ads will display full-screen in rotation with other content such as weather, recipes, sports, and news..."
[1] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/10/people-regret-buying-amazon-smart-displays-after-being-bombarded-with-ads/
[2] https://www.amazonforum.com/s/question/0D56Q0000DYDLBvSQP/why-is-my-echo-show-suddenly-showing-ads-and-how-do-i-turn-them-off
[3] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/07/get-ready-for-alexa-skills-pop-up-ads-on-your-amazon-echo-show/
[4] https://www.reddit.com/r/alexa/comments/1o0y0rw/ads_this_will_cause_me_to_unplug_all_show_devices/
[5] https://www.reddit.com/r/alexa/comments/1nku3j6/ads_after_alarm/
[6] https://www.reddit.com/r/alexa/comments/1nj0kxc/echo_show_wont_stop_advertising_amazon_plus/
[7] https://www.theverge.com/report/797672/amazon-echo-show-ads-alexa-plus
[8] https://www.reddit.com/r/alexa/comments/1nuucj0/how_are_we_still_getting_ads_on_alexa/
[9] https://www.reddit.com/r/alexa/comments/1o0y0rw/ads_this_will_cause_me_to_unplug_all_show_devices/
[10] https://www.reddit.com/r/alexa/comments/1nlzdbg/comment/nf92nhm/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
[11] https://www.reddit.com/r/alexa/comments/1o0o3an/question_im_returning_my_echo_show_because_it_has/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
[12] https://www.theverge.com/report/797672/amazon-echo-show-ads-alexa-plus
[13] https://advertising.amazon.com/resources/ad-specs/alexa-display-ads/home-screen
Part of the experience (Score:2)
> an Amazon spokesperson told Ars Technica: "Advertising is a small part of the experience, and it helps customers discover new content and products they may be interested in..."
And if a user isn't interested in having that experience? Ditching/returning the unit seems like a bad sole option. Funny how forcing something unwanted on others is "part of the experience." (Hmm, that sound familiar now...)
> Echo Show home screen ads change based on how close someone is to the gadget. "When the customer is more than four feet away from their device, ads will display full-screen in rotation with other content such as weather, recipes, sports, and news..."
This seems even worse.
Re: (Score:2)
Lots of people buy garbage like this simply because of the low price - sometimes priced even below the cost of production. If it's cheaper than the competition, that's all they look at. But somehow it doesn't occur to them that the manufacturer expects to recoup that money, one way or the other...
Of course, if the product description didn't make clear that advertisements are "part of the experience", there is always the option of class action.
And they want humanoid robots in your home... (Score:2)
Imagine when the human shaped robot that normally does your laundry starts spewing ads at you. Next thing you now it's pulled a knife and taken you hostage until you order 3 cases of Perrier water and pledge undying fealty to Nestle.
Zero compassion (Score:2, Insightful)
You voted for this with your wallet.
It could be worse (Score:4, Informative)
They might start to display [1]dupes [slashdot.org].
[1] https://slashdot.org/story/25/10/10/1021221/amazons-giant-ads-have-ruined-the-echo-show
oh no (Score:2)
Who could have seen this coming? Anyway,
Lesson learned... (Score:2)
Unplug it and move on with life.
Buy a device made to spew ads! (Score:2)
And people are unhappy it spews ads?