Ylilauta removes advertisements, shifting to subscription-based model in Finland

The well-known discussion forum Ylilauta has removed advertisements from its site over the summer, shifting to a model primarily supported by paying users. The platform, which transitioned to a largely subscription-based format last year, has not disclosed the number of paying users but previously reported having 2.5 million monthly users.

In a response to Yle, the Ylilauta administration stated that the decision to eliminate ads was voluntary, though the forum has faced various issues related to its advertising in the past. Law enforcement had deemed casino ads as illegal, and reports indicated that Ylilauta had previously paid millions in dividends to its owners in tax havens, with revenue stemming from selling ad space to online casinos. Promoting foreign online casinos in Finland is prohibited, and authorities could have imposed fines on the gambling marketers.

In June, Lauta Media Ltd, the Maltese company owning Ylilauta, announced plans to remove gambling advertisements to comply with police requests. CEO John Farrugia stated this removal was a goodwill gesture.

Additionally, Google had removed its own AdSense ads from Ylilauta in July, citing violations of its hate speech and harassment policies, particularly in light of discussions revealed by Svenska Yle. The Ylilauta administration claimed the absence of ads would enhance the user experience.

Ownership aspects of Ylilauta involve the Maltese Lauta Media Ltd, primarily owned by its founder Aleksi Kinnunen, who previously held about 32% through a Gibraltar-registered entity but transferred his shares to an Estonian company in May. Other shareholders include entities registered in Gibraltar and Finland.