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Scroll (web service)

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Scroll
Original author(s)Tony Haile
Developer(s)Scroll Labs Inc. (Twitter, Inc.)
Initial releaseJanuary 28, 2020; 4 years ago (January 28, 2020)
PlatformWeb browser, Mobile app
TypeAd-free internet browsing
LicenseSubscription service
Websitescroll.com

Scroll was a subscription web service developed by Scroll Labs Inc. that offered ad-free access to websites in exchange for a fee.[1] Scroll was not an ad blocker, but rather partnered directly with internet publishers who voluntarily took down ads on their sites for Scroll users in exchange for a portion of the subscription fee.[2]

In May 2021, Scroll was acquired by Twitter.[3] In October 2021, Scroll sent out an email announcing integration into Twitter Blue "within 30 days".[4]

Functionality

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Scroll enabled users to browse websites that work with Scroll without seeing online advertising and pay a fee for it. Scroll did not work as an ad blocker, which disables advertisements without compensation to the publisher;[5] instead, it sent a browser cookie indicating that the user is a Scroll subscriber, and Scroll software incorporated into the website detected the cookie and served an ad-free version of the site.[6][7] In exchange for disabling advertisements, partner websites received a portion of the subscription fee. As of January 2020, Scroll kept 30% of the subscription fee and the rest is distributed among publisher sites.[8] Payments to sites were made individually by users based on their own “engagement and loyalty”, rather than by disbursing money from a single pool of all subscription revenue.[9] Scroll did not give subscribers access to partner sites that have a paywall, it only removed ads from the site if the user also paid the publication's subscription fee.[10]

History

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Scroll was founded in 2016 by former Chartbeat Chief Executive Tony Haile.[10] Scroll raised US$3 million in its first round of funding in 2016, including investments from The New York Times, Uncork Capital, and Axel Springer SE.[6] By October 2018, Scroll had raised US$10 million in funding.[6] In 2018, Scroll signed its first partner websites, which included The Atlantic, Fusion Media Group, Business Insider, Slate, MSNBC, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Talking Points Memo.[11][10] In February 2019, Scroll acquired the social media curation app Nuzzel.[12][13] The same month, Mozilla and Scroll announced a partnership to run a "test pilot" together, but did not go into details.[14] Scroll entered beta testing in 2019 and launched to the general public on January 28, 2020.[8]

In March 2020, Mozilla started offering Scroll as part of its "Firefox Better Web" service bundle.[12][15]

In May 2021, Scroll was acquired by Twitter, with the future of Scroll cited as being uncertain.[16] An email to customers announcing the change said, "Later this year, Scroll will become part of a wider Twitter subscription that will expand on and adapt our services and functionality".

References

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  1. ^ Kastrenakes, Jacob (28 January 2020). "Scroll makes hundreds of websites ad-free for $5 per month". The Verge.
  2. ^ Shankland, Stephen; Gonzalez, Oscar (29 January 2020). "Scroll gives you a web with fewer ads and trackers for $5 a month". CNET.
  3. ^ Bohn, Dieter (4 May 2021). "Twitter is buying Scroll, the subscription service that removes ads from news sites". The Verge.
  4. ^ "Scroll is shutting down in 'approximately' 30 days to become part of Twitter Blue". www.theverge.com. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  5. ^ Kafka, Peter (28 January 2020). "Here's how to stop seeing ads on the internet without screwing over publishers". Recode.
  6. ^ a b c Mullin, Benjamin (28 October 2018). "Digital News Startup Scroll Expands Ahead of 2019 Launch". Wall Street Journal.
  7. ^ Bohn, Dieter (29 January 2020). "The Scroll subscription service is an ingenious web technology hack". The Verge.
  8. ^ a b Bomey, Nathan (28 January 2020). "Gannett-backed Scroll launches subscription service for ad-free journalism". USA Today.
  9. ^ Ha, Anthony (28 January 2020). "Scroll launches its subscription offering ad-free access across 300 partner sites". Tech Crunch.
  10. ^ a b c Mullin, Benjamin (22 February 2018). "Scroll Signs On Publishers for Service That Will Curb Their Ads". The Wall Street Journal.
  11. ^ Owen, Laura Hazard (23 February 2018). "Scroll, the $5/month news subscription startup, signs up The Atlantic, Business Insider, Fusion Media Group, Slate, and others". NiemanLab.
  12. ^ a b Bohn, Dieter (24 March 2020). "Firefox is launching a new test pilot with Scroll to pay web publishers". The Verge.
  13. ^ Haile, Tony (7 February 2019). "Scroll is acquiring Nuzzel". Scroll Blog. Scroll.
  14. ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (2019-02-26). "Mozilla partners with news subscription service Scroll to build an ad-free internet". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  15. ^ Scire, Sarah (25 March 2020). "Scroll and Mozilla's Firefox team up to bring ad-free news to a wider audience". NiemanLab.
  16. ^ Bohn, Dieter (4 May 2021). "Twitter is buying Scroll, the subscription service that removes ads from news sites". The Verge.
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