Observed Signal · Oct 17, 2025 · Technical Release · Source: ExchangeWire · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
75% of Consumers Embrace Ads for Free Content!
Verve released the 2025 In-App User Privacy Report, based on an August 2025 Censuswide survey of 4,000 consumers across the UK and US, examining privacy concerns, personalization, and the value exchange in digital advertising. The study finds a shift toward ad-supported models: 75% say they are more willing to watch or receive ads for free content than two years ago (up from 67% in 2024), driven by subscription fatigue and tighter budgets. However, data usage remains a major anxiety, with 65% more concerned about data being used to train AI — a 20-point rise since 2024. Personalization continues to drive engagement, while 72% would be less likely to pay to remove ads if the ads were relevant. Demographic differences exist, and 65% feel more in control of privacy settings than two years ago. The report includes commentary from ID5, GeoEdge, and Singular and is downloadable from Business of Apps.
Provides industry-wide privacy and ad-supported content insights from a 4,000-person UK/US survey; implications for advertisers and publishers.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Verve released the 2025 In-App User Privacy Report based on a Censuswide survey of 4,000 UK/US consumers conducted in August 2025.
- 75% are more willing to watch or receive ads for free content than two years ago (up from 67% in 2024).
- 72% would be less likely to pay to remove ads if the ads were relevant to them.
- 65% are more concerned about data being used to train AI, up 20 percentage points since 2024.
- 65% feel more in control of their privacy settings than two years ago.
Connected Companies & Entities
4 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Shopping Apps Win User Trust: Data Sharing on the Rise
Verve’s 2025 In-App User Privacy Report, based on a survey of about 4,000 mobile users in the US and UK, finds shopping apps fare better than other app categories at securing user data. In 2025, 23.4% of shopping-app users said they were unwilling to share any personal data (down slightly from 24.0% in 2024), versus an average 35.1% unwilling across all app types. Users are most willing to share email (47.3%), name (41.1%) and gender (38.2%) with shopping apps; willingness to share health data rose from 6.5% in 2024 to 8.3% in 2025 (+1.8 pp, +27.7% relative). Regional and age differences persist: UK respondents are generally more willing than US respondents to share personal data (e.g., names: 43% UK vs 39% US), while younger cohorts (Gen Z, Millennials) decreased willingness to share names and mobile numbers. Verve and panelists recommend collecting high-value data later in the user funnel and offering clear value in exchange.
Agentic Media Buying Needs Malware Guardrails: PropellerAds View
As agentic AI takes on more media buying decisions, PropellerAds' Head of Marketing argues that performance optimization must be paired with security signals. Citing IAB research, 96% of buyers are aware of agentic AI, and 66% are increasing focus on it. PropellerAds' own Q2 2026 ads safety data shows a rise in malware-related rejections, from 23.3% to 45.9% of all rejected campaigns, while total rejections fell 42%. Cloaking remains persistent at 67.3% of advertiser suspensions. The author advocates for integrating security signals into the decision loop, using a 'second set of traffic lights' approach. Human review should focus on ambiguous cases, and agents should have audit trails for explainability. The piece reflects PropellerAds' perspective as a sponsor, not market-wide data.
OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT Ads with Image Formats and Measurement
OpenAI is expanding its ChatGPT advertising offering with a new visual ad format that uses image carousels, initially appearing during image generation. The ads are clearly labeled and separate from content, and the rollout begins in October 2026 for US users and select advertisers, with plans to reach over 60 markets. ChatGPT now surpasses 1.2 billion weekly users, making it the largest AI-based consumer platform. Early results show strong performance, such as WeightWatchers' 15.3% lower cost per acquisition and high new-visitor rates for brands like Dose and Portland Leather. However, a TrafficGuard study reveals that ad clicks are 3.6 times more likely to come from datacenters or proxies compared to Google Ads, with invalid click rates ranging from 0.1% to 34%, indicating early ad fraud challenges. Advertisers are encouraged to verify performance independently.
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