Stack Overflow is introducing native ads to blend sponsored content into its Q&A feeds, aiming to fund enhancements while maintaining transparency and user value. Critics fear erosion of trust and misinformation. This move reflects efforts to balance revenue with community integrity amid AI-driven industry shifts.
It’s not uncommon on sites where a high proportion of the userbase uses an adblocker, as making ads look like and render using the same code as organic content (same CSS classes, etc) makes them harder to block.