While browsing the Fox News website, people found an unskippable popup asking them to input and verify their email IDs.
No one has been required to log in or verify their email IDs on the Fox News website for years. As such, this move has drawn backlash from its user base.
So, why is the corporation doing this?
Many users of the Fox News website noticed on December 15, 2023, that it is asking for the Email IDs of the people reading the articles. As Google will be removing third-party cookies in 2024, Fox News wants to expand its user base and use the information to send ads and promote its products to the people. However, people are upset and want the company to rescind this.
Why Is Fox News Suddenly Asking For Login and User Emails?
On the Fox News website, there’s an article titled, “Why does everyone seem to want your email address?” published on February 14, 2023.
The article says that advertisers, web publishers, and app developers all seek to collect email addresses primarily for the purpose of reaching out to users with advertisements, special offers, and promotional content.
Additionally, they view email addresses as a means to generate leads, creating a list of potential customers for future follow-ups. This results in a flood of daily emails, often with challenging unsubscribe processes, making it hard for users to opt-out.
Moreover, email addresses serve as a tool for tracking user activities across various websites and apps, enabling advertisers to deliver targeted ads.
The article stated that both Apple and Google have made significant efforts to empower users by offering options to block apps from tracking their online activities and to restrict websites’ use of cookies.
Upon your initial connection to a website, cookies start storing data tagged with a unique ID tied to your device, facilitating the gathering of personalized information about your online behavior.
However, it’s important to note that even with these privacy measures in place, willingly providing advertisers with your email address remains a potential vulnerability.
Email addresses hold personal information, allowing individuals to glean details like your educational background and ethnicity, highlighting the need for cautious data sharing in the digital age.
The article also mentioned how you can stop being tracked in the future.
They wrote that to safeguard your primary email account from being inundated with targeted ads, you should refrain from sharing it online. Instead, opt for strategies that enhance your email privacy.
Another effective approach is to utilize a private and secure email address hosted on an encrypted server. This step ensures that your email communications remain confidential and protected.
Also another valuable tactic is to consider employing an alias email address. By setting up a personalized email alias, you can quickly identify the source of unwanted emails and mitigate spam.
So, if you detect any breaches of this alias, you can delete it, preventing further spam.
However, it looks like Fox News has begun doing something similar. They are asking for the email addresses of the people browsing their articles. On the Fox News subreddit, a post stating the same by user u/techtony_50 was put up. It said:
“So I have not been to Fox News in about 2 months. Went today just to check in and see what was going on. BEHOLD! I click on two articles and each one is demanding I give out AND VERIFY my email address in order to read the news article… When did they start this crap?”
No one could answer when Fox News began doing this, but it came to everyone’s notice on December 15, 2023.
But as Fox News mentioned in its February 14, 2023, article, it’s probably to generate more leads and to expand its user base. As of the time of writing, there’s no sure way to unsubscribe from the corporate mailing list.
One Redditor said they had been getting popups on the Fox News website requesting their email address for a long time, but they ignored the request, and it went away. However, now it has become an unskippable and unavoidable popup.
Some advised the post’s author to move to Newsmax, while others said that Fox News would stop this due to the backlash against them.
As of now, it hasn’t been confirmed if the company will stop doing this.
Why do you think Fox News is collecting email addresses now after advising against it for years? Do you think the backlash will make them rescind this idea?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Fox News
58 Comments
I have read Fox News every morning and through the day for many years , but no more. I have already deleted the app. Totally unacceptable.
Goodbye Fox. Other options without providing my email.
You can copy any URL on fox and then go to Prinfriendly.com and paste the URL to read the article. What a waste of time to do this, but it is a work around to keep FOX from selling your info.
You can bypass the email requirement by clicking View/Page Style/No Style at the top of your browser, or shortcut: hold down the Alt key and press V, Y, N in that order to accomplish the same thing. Works on my Firefox browser though I can’t speak for other browsers. You have to Page Down several times to see the text of the article, but it beats giving Fox News your edress!
Fox is now required to download my app for the privilege of offering to read their news.
More than one way for that to work!
The email verification will not work if you have ublock origin and/or DNS based ad blockers. I can be fully logged in, verify, etc and it still won’t show the article. I have to even disable my DNS based ad blocker (the only kind that works with Chrome Mobile) before it will disappear.
Sorry, but the site is unreadable with ads everywhere and good luck trying to post a comment on a phone as it will struggle to keep up with the constant ad/video ad loading, making replying very difficult and sometimes impossible while consuming limited data for some of us. It worked beautifully when ads were blocked until they added this garbage.
They don’t seem to realize an unusable web experience drives people away (or they just don’t care about staying in business).
Not only don’t I like giving my email but the process is stupid, clumsy, time consuming and annoying. They send you a link that doesn’t show up half the time. When it does you get two pages with Success showing up that you have to click away. Then you can go back or you get the Success box again. Dumb implementation. Looking at other websites for news now. Bye.
I’ve been using Foxnews for a long time. I’m looking hard for a replacement because of having to provide my email in order to read news. Requirement seems ill-thought out to say the least.
Newsmax , Newsweek, and NY Post, Murdoch Jr. is harvesting data
Been a Fox fan for years, but this is ridiculous. Going to Newsmax.
I’ve been getting really sick of this bullsh*t for the last month.. Today, I deleted my acct at Fox and deleted Fox from my bookmarks. The Western Journal, NewsMax, NY Post, Daily Wire are all good alternatives. Fox is shooting themselves in the foot with this STUPID policy. Adios Fox.
The irony of posting this article while your own website sends popups asking for an email….
No, the Democrats would never use the DOJ to utilze this information to make a list of political opponents “targets for investigations” due to thier choice of news slant….. F off Fox, Indeed!
Good bye Fox
Already a Fox member, so why do I have to give e=mail again? So, sine they already have my e-mail, I did/ And….still no article, and still the same insipid demand for my e-mail.
Fuck off Fox. After 20 years, adios.
Have to question why Fox leadership has chosen to implement this self-destructive policy. Really poor decision. I’m gone!
Adios Fox News!
Would read Fox first thing every morning and last thing at night but will not divulge my email just to receive pesky ads! We are inundated with advertising everywhere we go – on tv, radio, emails, websites, going out for a walk, buying groceries, banners while driving – you name it. It’s all about marketing and money. I would rather pay a one-time fee to read all the articles from Fox because they are quality than be pestered with all the ads. Sorry to leave you Fox!
Hey fox news FUCK OFF!!!!!
Been reading Fox News for over 20 years daily. Goodbye Fox News we’re parting company both with reading your articles and cable viewing. You did this – enjoy a Bud Light on me!
I’m going to do it (but I think it’s BS)…but they’ll just get a junk email from me to initiate it…one I’ll never go to again.
Same here, been a Fox News follower for many years but not any longer.
If I can’t read an article without “signing in” Im done with Fox. Newsman it is!
Fox News is pulling a Bud Light. Pissing off your core customers!
Just put a bogus e-mail address that you never use
I’m leaving too. Not giving you my email so you can blast me with annoying promotions and ads. I hate to see this because I’ve been an avid Fox fan for years. Sorry to see you go.
I have been a faithful follower of Fox news but they lost my business when the email request started showing up- wont be back until its changed
Not happy. Will not leave email to read the news. Goodbye Fox.
Just shocked where Fox News is going. No way will you get my email to read your articles.
you already screwed up your fox news lineup on TV and now this.
Goodbye Fox.
Goodbye Fox.
You Foxnews, were suppose to be a champion against the politics of data mining peoples activities across the internet. I guess you switched sides. Are you now a Demonicrat news agency ? Cyber News Service and Fox news were my go to for daily news. I guess you’re out now. May as well call you MSFox, right…
Like many others, leaving Fox News, screw them.
I’ve watched/ read fox news since the beginning in 1996. With the sign-up requirement in place, I guess that I’m done. I’m not giving my email to anyone so that I can be pestered with ads and other nonsense that I do not want, nor do I need.
Haven’t viewed Fox in days becauseof this. Refused to watch Trump Town hall. Plenty of other websites have the same “news”, if not more up to date news than Fox.
Fox News is nothing more than state run opposition media. Streamed ABC news to catch up on the wars.
It’s to put you on a list.
This email requirement is Complete BS! The Marketing Moron’s at FoxNews.com need to be Fired. At first the super-annoying email window was limited to a small percentage of articles…..today it seems to be almost every article I try to view. Annoying just become FURIOUS. I’ve been a loyal reader for TWO DECADES. As of today, I’m Done. Way to go FoxNews.com, you’re driving your readers to your competition.
More Commie corporate bs. Every corporation wanting to track everything about you. i used to go to fox to check out the news every morning. No more. Screw you fox, and your big brother bull$hit
Fox News USED to be my home page for my browsers until requesting email address to read articles.
Yeah, looks like Fox News is going the way of CNN. LOL. Got my Newsmax account so after over a decade of going to Foxnews.com I’m saying goodbye. Sad deal Fox.
I don’t mind doing it once, but for each and every article. That is utterly ridiculous. Going to Newsmaxx.
I must concur, Fox News has been my “go to” for many years, but this has put me over the edge. No way will I provide my email address to any of the major news networks to read their “opinions”…..news is what is happening or what has happened…..forward looking “news” is just opinion, nothing more. Bye bye Fox News!
I’m gone. Another example of stupidity
If you turn off your ad blocker and refresh the page, it doesn’t ask for the email. It just blankets you with ads but you can read the article. A stupid tactic by some Gen Z kid.
I am a long-time viewer of Fox News, but I will NOT be giving my email address in order to read their news articles! I will be cease viewing all Fox content if this requirement is not rescinded.
No thanks! Not providing my email just so I can read your articles. Time to,find a new news source!
Nope…
Not giving you my email. Time for me to find a new news source!
Seems to be a plot to redirect people to other news sources. CNN is the actual propaganda mega machine. Let’s see if all news will have to be earned. Bring back the printer press!!
So, the on-screen ads aren’t providing enough revenue? Maybe Fox News is paying their “talent” and execs waayyy too much money.
Their fault for practicing stupid business practices.
I have other options for news and therefore, Fox’s COMPETITORS will be getting ad revenue from my browsing experience (and from thousands of other readers too, I’m sure)
Not giving my email. There plenty of options to get fake Trump news.
Well, Fox News is owned by Disney. . .
Plain stupid. See ya Fox News
Done with Fox News, deleting their app
I’ve been an avid FOX News reader for years. No more. I do n’t like the movie I get up and leave. Sorry FOX.
I’m done
Yeah not giving my email
I am joining the hordes of people leaving Fox News due to the email requirement to read their articles.