- 12ft.io allowed people to bypass paywalls on news websites and blocked ads and trackers.
- The News/Media Alliance successfully removed the site, citing infringement of rights and economic harm to publishers.
- The portal's creator, Thomas Millar, developed it after detecting the rise of blocked content during the pandemic.
- This action is part of a context of changes in the publishing sector and the growing pressure of AI on the traditional business model.
The online publishing sector has taken a further step in protecting its revenue streams with the 12ft.io withdrawal, One The most popular tools for bypassing paywalls of digital newspapers and magazinesThis site, which functioned as a "ladder" to access protected articles, disappeared after pressure from the News/Media Alliance, an organization that brings together numerous internationally renowned publishers.
During the last years, The tension between users seeking free access to information and media outlets that protect their content under subscription has been increasing.The emergence of platforms like 12ft.io has been viewed by the industry as a direct threat to the economic viability of media outlets, especially in a context where traditional advertising revenue has declined significantly.
What was 12ft.io and how did it work?
12ft.io was born as a response to the growing proliferation of paywalls in the main online media. This service offered a simple way for Any Internet user could read articles without having to pay, mimicking the behavior of a web crawler to circumvent restrictions and, in the process, eliminating ads, tracking cookies, and other forms of digital monitoring. Behind the project was Thomas Millar, a software engineer who, in the midst of the pandemic, discovered that "8 out of 10 top results on Google were blocked by a paywall."
The solution that this portal offered was not limited to access to closed texts; it also improved the browsing experience by eliminating unwanted elements such as banners, pop-ups, and tracking scripts. All of this occurred without leaving any trace behind, which impacted the privacy and navigability typical of information portals with aggressive subscription models.
Motivations and arguments of the News/Media Alliance
The withdrawal of 12ft.io was not a random or isolated decision.According to spokespeople for the News/Media Alliance, The site provided "illegal circumvention technology" that allowed access to copyrighted content without paymentThe organization believes that tools of this type undermine publishers' ability to generate revenue to sustain professional journalism, whether through subscriptions or advertising.
Danielle Coffey, president and CEO of the association, was clear about it"Removing paywall circumvention is essential to maintaining a healthy and sustainable information ecosystem.Furthermore, the alliance itself warns that this will not be an isolated case and that it plans to take similar measures against any other portal that facilitates circumvention of these access controls.
The background: crisis of the traditional model and the rise of AI
The conflict between free access and media sustainability goes beyond 12ft.ioOver the last decade, the online publishing business has changed radically. Traffic and, consequently, advertising revenue have fallen due to changes in Google's algorithms and the emergence of artificial intelligence in search engines, forcing many media outlets to rely on subscriptions and exclusive content.
Editors find themselves between a rock and a hard place: they need restrict access to a large part of its articles in order to survive economically, but measures such as paywalls frustrate readers, who seek alternatives to circumvent them, such as 12ft.io. In addition, new features such as Google's AI Overview, which responds directly to user queries on the results page itself, mean a new challenge by further reducing clicks and visits to news sites.
The creator's stance and the subscription paradox
Thomas Millar, the man behind 12ft.io, defended the tool's usefulness. arguing that the web had become a hostile environment for users, riddled with obstacles to accessing information. Millar claimed, "I'm making this my mission: to clean up the web." However, in an ironic twist of fate, Millar himself was forced to ask for voluntary payments to keep the project afloat in the face of technical and legal costs, which demonstrates the complexity of ensuring complete free access in the digital age.
The closure of 12ft.io marks a new chapter in the fight for control and monetization of online content. The media seem determined to protect their business models, while a portion of users are looking for ever more ingenious ways to access information without restrictions or payment.
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