Facebook actually hides ‘dummy’ DOM nodes between the ‘Sponsored’ text. These values are entirely random characters, with a random number of DOM nodes between them. Invisible characters. At this point our CSS ad blocker is completely broken. There is no way for us to possibly code every possible value in CSS.
We’ve covered this before when Mike Pan noted it. Looks like it’s evolved a bit since then, getting even a little tricker.
I just opened my Facebook and selected “Copy Outer HTML” on the word “Sponsored”:
<span class="v_19dt4zixpg r_19dt4zk7i5"><span class="fsm fwn fcg"><span class="q_19dt4zirbc"><a class="d_19dt4zioka h_19dt4ziol1" role="button" id="u_fetchstream_3_6"><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="a" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="t" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="S" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="p" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="r" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="i" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="n" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="S" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi n_19dt4ziokm"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="i" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="p" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi n_19dt4ziokm"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="o" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi n_19dt4ziokm"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="i" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="n" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi n_19dt4ziokm"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="o" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="a" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="c" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="s" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi n_19dt4ziokm"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="n" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="s" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="o" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="r" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="e" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="o" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi n_19dt4ziokm"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="g" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="r" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi n_19dt4ziokm"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="d" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="e" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi n_19dt4ziokm"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="f" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi b_19dt4ziokl"></span></span><span class="s_19dt4ziok9 d_19dt4ziok- e_19dt4ziokq"><span data-content="d" class="s_19dt4ziok9 l_19dt4zlqyi n_19dt4ziokm"></span></span></span></a></span></span></span>I guess we shouldn’t be terribly surprised at Facebook being user-hostile. I can imagine a workplace environment where fighting against ad blockers is turned into this fun kinda cat-and-mouse technological tennis match. But what they are fighting against is people wanting to exert a little control over what they allow into their eyes, ears, and brains.
It’s worth noting that nothing else in the DOM helps identify a post as an ad. So in that sense it’s just like how Google has evolved SERPs in how ads look just like organic results aside from a tiny “AD” before the URL.
We run sponsored posts here on CSS-Tricks too, so please feel free to hold our feet to the fire of accountability if you feel sponsored posts aren’t clear enough.
This is quite interesting to know and evil if I may say.
In regards to CSS-Tricks I always liked that ads were clear but made sense and I guess it is because of the branch but that is what I hate about ads overall for not being relevant.
In my opinion, as long as those ads are not disruptive or unethical, there is nothing wrong that a free-to-use social media generates its revenue through the ads. I think people who use a free service and block the service from rightfully generating revenue should feel ashamed.
What Facebook does is insidious but just a response to the non-trivial growth of privacy forward tools like uBlock Origin and Brave. It’s a signal that it’s actually hurting them.
I wouldn’t say that they’ve developed something insurmountable by adblockers. Like you said, it’s cat and mouse. The intelligence of adblockers has plenty of room to grow.
Users should have a right to control what is displayed on their devices.
Perhaps the solution isn’t fighting head to head but the eventual adoption of ideas like a User’s Bill of Rights, either through the coercion of government or by voluntary adoption by businesses with less harmful business models.
For example, my small business outlines its abstention from the use of dark UX patterns in our Users First policy. A small feat, but at scale something that could have a profound impact on the web. If such policies were incentivized through things like SERP or badges similar to how browsers let you know when a site uses https, the impact could outpace the growth of dark patterns.
BTW, you guys do a fine job on this site of letting people know about sponsored posts. Cheers to good web business practices!
A message for all: there’s actually a really powerful Facebook ad blocker around, and it’s free too! It”s called “don’t subscribe to Facebook”. I’m not taking about the “yeah but I only use it once in a while” paid release, I’m talking about the free, more powerful than ever “I’ve never subscribed to it or I deleted my account” version, which has been embraced by a lot of people, and counting.
Trust me and yourselves:you can leave without fb.
Is this accessible for screen readers? Can someone with assistive technology find out that this is an ad? If not would it be a breach of WCAG2.0?
Here in Norway any website and digital solution is required by law to follow WCAG2.0 AA and faillure to comply is subject to fines. This could potentially be a finable offence.
I like how you go in-depth on how to remove sponsored ads off did anybody else even know you have to type letter enter then another letter for a word you didnt know that wasn’t in your coding program
In my opinion I dont think there a point of removing the ads if there not harmful for anybody