Adverts do not keep the internet free
There are countless flaws in John Young’s argument that adverts keep the internet free (Letters, Issue 675). I’ll name a few. Netflix charges £4.99 a month for streaming with adverts (pictured), as does Disney+. ITVX has adverts, but to watch shows streamed live you need to pay for a TV licence. The same applies to Channels 4 and 5.
Amazon has provided the biggest dent in the argument by introducing adverts in Prime Video. Has it done this so it can offer Prime Video for free? Of course not. It’s part of an industry-wide move to create a two-tier internet. There’s first-class for those who can afford to remove adverts; and second-class for those who can’t.
I’m afraid to say that for those who hate adverts, worse is to come. This new business model creates an incentive for companies to keep
