The Flaw in Facebook’s VR Ad Defense

Facebook’s initial rollout of ads in virtual reality apps hasn’t even begun in earnest, yet we’re already seeing the company’s head of AR and VR adopt a defensive stance. Facebook needs to face up to the reality that if it wants to put ads in games that people have paid for, they’ll have to cope with a backlash.

To recap, Facebook announced in June plans to start testing VR ads, beginning with a trial run in the multiplayer game Blaston, which costs $10. The news sparked such pushback that Facebook relented and instead will try the ads in a free VR game. All good, so far. But then last Thursday evening, Facebook Reality Labs VP Andrew Bosworth hit back with some criticisms of the critics—but with a somewhat flawed argument.