Scroll (web service)
{{Short description|Web service by Scroll Labs Inc, 2020–2021}}
{{Promotional|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Scroll
| logo = Scroll (web service) logo.svg
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| author = Tony Haile
| developer = Scroll Labs Inc. (Twitter, Inc.)
| released = {{start date and age|January 28, 2020}}
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| platform = Web browser, Mobile app
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| genre = Ad-free internet browsing
| license = Subscription service
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| website = {{URL|https://scroll.com/}}
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Scroll was a subscription-based web service developed by Scroll Labs Inc., offering ad-free access to websites in exchange for a fee.{{cite news|last1=Kastrenakes|first1=Jacob|title=Scroll makes hundreds of websites ad-free for $5 per month|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/29/21113003/scroll-subscription-service-publisher-web-cookie-hack|publisher=The Verge|date=28 January 2020|language=en}} Scroll was not an ad blocker; instead, it partnered directly with internet publishers who voluntarily removed ads from their sites for Scroll users in exchange for a portion of the subscription fee.{{cite news|last1=Shankland|first1=Stephen|last2=Gonzalez|first2=Oscar|title=Scroll gives you a web with fewer ads and trackers for $5 a month|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/scroll-gives-you-a-web-with-fewer-ads-and-trackers-for-5-a-month/|publisher=CNET|date=29 January 2020|language=en}}
In May 2021, Scroll was acquired by Twitter.{{cite news|last1=Bohn|first1=Dieter|title=Twitter is buying Scroll, the subscription service that removes ads from news sites|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/4/22417852/twitter-buying-scroll-subscription-service-news-revue-newsletter|publisher=The Verge|date=4 May 2021|language=en}} In October 2021, Scroll sent out an email announcing its integration into Twitter Blue within 30 days.{{Cite web|title=Scroll is shutting down in 'approximately' 30 days to become part of Twitter Blue |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/5/22711233/scroll-shutting-down-twitter-blue-standalone-subscription-ad-free-article-service|access-date=2023-04-19|website=www.theverge.com|language=en}}
Functionality
Scroll enabled users to browse websites that partnered with Scroll without encountering online advertising, in exchange for a subscription fee. Unlike ad blocker, which disable advertisements without compensating the publisher, Scroll sent a browser cookie indicating that the user was a subscriber. The Scroll software integrated into the website detected this cookie and served an ad-free version of the site.{{cite news |last1=Kafka |first1=Peter |date=28 January 2020 |title=Here's how to stop seeing ads on the internet without screwing over publishers |url=https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/1/28/21111961/scroll-ad-block-launch-tony-haile-advertising |publisher=Recode |language=en}}{{cite news|last1=Bohn|first1=Dieter|title=The Scroll subscription service is an ingenious web technology hack|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/29/21113003/scroll-subscription-service-publisher-web-cookie-hack|publisher=The Verge|date=29 January 2020|language=en}} In exchange for disabling advertisements, partner websites received a portion of the subscription fee. As of January 2020, Scroll retained 30% of the subscription fee, with the remaining 70% distributed among publisher sites.{{cite news|last1=Bomey|first1=Nathan|title=Gannett-backed Scroll launches subscription service for ad-free journalism|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/01/28/scroll-ad-free-journalism-news/4586551002/|publisher=USA Today|date=28 January 2020|language=en}} Payments to sites were made individually by users based on their 'engagement and loyalty,' rather than from a single pool of all subscription revenue.{{cite news|last1=Ha|first1=Anthony|title=Scroll launches its subscription offering ad-free access across 300 partner sites|url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/28/scroll-launch/|publisher=Tech Crunch|date=28 January 2020|language=en}} Scroll did not grant subscribers access to partner sites behind a paywall; it only removed ads from the site if the user also paid the publication's subscription fee.
History
Scroll was founded in 2016 by former Chartbeat Chief Executive Tony Haile. 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.{{cite news|last1=Mullin|first1=Benjamin|title=Digital News Startup Scroll Expands Ahead of 2019 Launch|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/online-publisher-scroll-expands-ahead-of-2019-launch-1540488600|publisher=Wall Street Journal|date=28 October 2018|language=en}} By October 2018, Scroll had raised US$10 million in funding. 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.{{cite news|last1=Owen|first1=Laura Hazard|title=Scroll, the $5/month news subscription startup, signs up The Atlantic, Business Insider, Fusion Media Group, Slate, and others|url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2018/02/scroll-the-5-month-news-subscription-startup-signs-up-the-atlantic-business-insider-fusion-media-group-slate-and-others/|publisher=NiemanLab|date=23 February 2018|language=en}}{{cite news|last1=Mullin|first1=Benjamin|title=Scroll Signs On Publishers for Service That Will Curb Their Ads|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/scroll-signs-on-publishers-for-service-that-will-curb-their-ads-1519315200|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|date=22 February 2018|language=en}} In February 2019, Scroll acquired the social media curation app Nuzzel.{{cite web|last1=Haile|first1=Tony|title=Scroll is acquiring Nuzzel|url=https://scroll.blog/2019/02/07/scroll-is-acquiring-nuzzel/|website=Scroll Blog|publisher=Scroll|date=7 February 2019}} The same month, Mozilla and Scroll announced a partnership to run a "test pilot" together, but did not go into details.{{Cite web|last=Gartenberg|first=Chaim|date=2019-02-26|title=Mozilla partners with news subscription service Scroll to build an ad-free internet|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/26/18241183/news-subscription-service-scroll-partner-mozilla-firefox-ad-free-internet|access-date=2021-05-11|website=The Verge|language=en}} Scroll entered beta testing in 2019 and launched to the general public on January 28, 2020.
In March 2020, Mozilla started offering Scroll as part of its "Firefox Better Web" service bundle.{{cite news|last1=Bohn|first1=Dieter|title=Firefox is launching a new test pilot with Scroll to pay web publishers|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/24/21192048/firefox-better-web-scroll-subscription-ad-tracker-blocker-publisher-payment|publisher=The Verge|date=24 March 2020|language=en}}{{cite news|last1=Scire|first1=Sarah|title=Scroll and Mozilla's Firefox team up to bring ad-free news to a wider audience|url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2020/03/scroll-and-mozillas-firefox-team-up-to-bring-ad-free-news-to-a-wider-audience/|publisher=NiemanLab|date=25 March 2020|language=en}}
In May 2021, Scroll was acquired by Twitter, with the future of Scroll cited as being uncertain. 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".