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Walt Disney forms business unit to coordinate use of AI, augmented reality, reports Reuters

General

Nov 1, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Disney is establishing a new Office of Technology Enablement to coordinate its exploration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and mixed reality (XR) across its film, TV, and theme park divisions.

Led by Jamie Voris, this unit will integrate emerging tech applications into Disney’s broader strategy while working alongside individual project teams. With plans to grow to around 100 staff, the group aims to enhance consumer experiences and creative initiatives.

Disney is also strengthening its expertise in AR/VR, hiring specialists such as Kyle Laughlin to bolster its Imagineering division and drive innovation within its theme parks and home experiences.

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OpenAI gives ChatGPT its own search engine, reports Axios

General

Oct 31, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI has integrated a real-time search engine into ChatGPT, enhancing responses on current events like sports, news, and weather. This feature, directly accessible in ChatGPT’s web and app platforms, initially rolls out to paid users and will reach all users within months.

Unlike traditional search engines, OpenAI’s ChatGPT currently offers ad-free results, a contrast to Google’s ad-dominated model. OpenAI collaborates with Microsoft and select publishers, like Vox Media and The Associated Press, to source content.

This addition positions OpenAI more directly against Google and Microsoft’s Bing, with future potential for commercial interest in search advertising.

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Integral Ad Science Is Raising the Prices of Brand Safety Solutions for Buyers, reports AdWeek

General

Oct 31, 2024

Integral Ad Science (IAS), a provider of brand safety and ad verification solutions, is raising its prices by one to three cents per 1,000 impressions, effective 1 November, according to sources. Notifications of the increase were observed in Yahoo's demand-side platform (DSP), though IAS has yet to comment publicly.

IAS, reportedly considering a sale, has seen an 11.8% rise in shares following Bloomberg’s report. While IAS has faced scrutiny, particularly from Adalytics' reports on brand safety lapses, it stands to gain clients from Oracle’s recent exit from the advertising business, including former MOAT users.

Earnings are due 12 November.

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Amazon Earnings For Q3 2024 Show +11.0% YoY Revenue Growth, Net Income Up By +55.2% YoY

+ 11% YoY Opinions

Earnings

Oct 31, 2024

Reuters reports:

Amazon posted better-than-expected Q3 profits, with revenue up 7% in retail and 19% in its advertising and cloud segments. The company’s North America operating margin rose to 5.9%, with international margins also improving.

CEO Andy Jassy highlighted AI as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” driving capital expenditure increases to around $75 billion this year. While AWS growth met forecasts, analysts had hoped for more. The fourth-quarter revenue forecast midpoint of $185 billion is slightly below expectations, signalling holiday caution.

Amazon also announced a five-day in-office policy from January, sparking employee backlash, and ended its CFO’s media briefing for added transparency.

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Apple Earnings For Q3 2024 Show +6.1% YoY Revenue Growth, Net Income Down By -35.8% YoY

+ 6% YoY Opinions

Earnings

Oct 31, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Bloomberg reports:

Apple’s latest earnings report highlights ongoing challenges in China and slower projected revenue growth for the upcoming holiday season. Revenue for the quarter rose 6.1% to $94.9 billion, driven by strong iPhone 16 sales. However, China revenue fell short, and iPad and wearables missed forecasts. Apple’s services sector reached a record $25 billion but didn’t fully meet estimates.

Apple’s AI-driven “Apple Intelligence” features remain in development, and new AI and robotics-driven smart home products are planned.

CEO Tim Cook’s recent visit to China stressed continued investment, though the company faces competition from domestic brands and regulatory hurdles.

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Attention And Brand Profit Are Strongly Linked, New Study Finds, reports AdAge

General

Oct 31, 2024

A new study by Ebiquity and Lumen Research shows a strong correlation (0.98) between the attentive minutes per thousand ad impressions and incremental profit for brands, suggesting that attention is crucial for driving profit.

Unlike previous studies by Kroger and ARF, which found minimal correlation between attention and sales, this research uses Ebiquity's marketing mix models and Lumen’s attention data.

The findings highlight that "not all reach is equal," as different media types deliver varying quality of engagement. The study supports integrating attention metrics into media planning for more effective outcomes.

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Roblox Earnings For Q3 2024 Show +28.8% YoY Revenue Growth, Net Loss Down By -13.8% YoY

+ 29% YoY Opinions

Earnings

Oct 31, 2024

Gaming / Metaverse

Reuters reports:

Roblox has raised its 2024 bookings forecast to $4.34–$4.37 billion, up from $4.18–$4.23 billion, after strong third-quarter results, with bookings reaching $1.13 billion, surpassing analysts’ estimates. Daily active users grew by 27% to 88.9 million, boosted by improved content discovery and a growing library of mature games aimed at older players.

Outgoing CFO Michael Guthrie attributed growth to enhanced algorithms and frequent updates from developers.

Despite a short-seller report from Hindenburg Research alleging inflated metrics and safety issues, Roblox firmly denied these claims, stating it is committed to community safety and transparency in its reporting.

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Comcast Earnings For Q3 2024 Show +6.5% YoY Revenue Growth, Net Income Down By -10.5% YoY

+ 7% YoY Opinions

Earnings

Oct 31, 2024

Bloomberg reports:

Comcast is exploring a potential spin-off of its cable networks, including MSNBC and Bravo, due to subscriber losses as consumers shift to streaming.

Third-quarter results exceeded expectations, with a 6.5% revenue rise to $32.1 billion, driven by NBCUniversal’s strong Olympics performance and Peacock’s growth to 36 million subscribers. Despite Peacock’s $436 million loss, Comcast saw a 37% revenue jump in its media segment. The company also gained 319,000 wireless customers but continued losing broadband subscribers, partly due to the end of a federal subsidy.

Comcast remains open to potential streaming partnerships while considering its future cable strategy.

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OpenAI Brings Search Features to ChatGPT in Challenge to Google, reports Bloomberg

General

Oct 31, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI is launching ChatGPT Search, allowing users to find up-to-date information within ChatGPT, featuring source attributions from news publishers. Initially available for paid users, the tool will expand to all users in the coming months.

ChatGPT Search enables conversational queries, with OpenAI partnering with publishers like News Corp., Axel Springer, and Le Monde for reliable content. It also supports local and topic-based searches, such as events or dining recommendations.

OpenAI aims to expand into shopping and travel, emphasising accuracy, especially around the upcoming U.S. election, directing users to verified sources for voting information.

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Musk's X ineffective against surge in US election misinformation, report says, reports Reuters

General

Oct 31, 2024

The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) claims Elon Musk's X platform’s Community Notes feature is ineffective in curbing election misinformation. CCDH’s report found that 74% of the 283 misleading election posts reviewed lacked corrective notes visible to all users, resulting in 2.2 billion views of unchecked misinformation.

Community Notes, launched last year, relies on user-submitted fact-checking rather than a professional team.

This report follows X’s loss in a lawsuit for enabling hate speech and ongoing concerns about misinformation, including recent requests from U.S. officials for Musk to address election-related inaccuracies spread by X’s AI chatbot.

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Elon Musk in funding talks with Middle East investors to value xAI at $45bn, reports FT

General

Oct 31, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Elon Musk’s AI start-up xAI is reportedly in talks with major Middle Eastern investors, including those in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, to raise funds that could double its valuation to $45 billion. Musk is seeking to compete with OpenAI and other tech giants and has approached existing backers like Sequoia Capital and Valor Equity Partners.

Despite past tensions, Musk has recently worked to mend relations with Saudi Arabia, with AI investment a priority for the region.

The fundraising drive aligns with an AI investment surge, as top start-ups require significant capital for developing large language models.

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Meta Earnings For Q3 2024 Show +18.9% YoY Revenue Growth, Net Income Up By +35.4% YoY

+ 19% YoY Opinions

Earnings

Oct 31, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

CNBC reports:

Meta’s third-quarter earnings exceeded expectations, with revenue at $40.59 billion and net income rising 35% to $15.7 billion. Daily active users reached 3.29 billion, below estimates, and ad revenue increased 18.7% year-over-year to $39.9 billion. However, Meta raised its 2024 capital expenditure forecast to $38-40 billion, with further increases anticipated in 2025 for AI-driven infrastructure. Reality Labs posted a $4.4 billion loss, less than expected, with revenues up 29% year-over-year.

Meta projects fourth-quarter revenue of $45-48 billion, and total 2024 expenses are estimated at $96-98 billion.

Overall headcount rose 9% to 72,404 employees.

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Kimberly-Clark Reviewing Global Media, Creative Assignments, reports MediaPost

General

Oct 30, 2024

Kimberly-Clark is conducting a global review of its media and creative accounts, excluding the U.S., where Publicis Groupe handles media.

Incumbents Omnicom Media Group and GroupM currently manage media outside the U.S. Kimberly-Clark spent approximately $510 million on media in 2022, with around 75% focused on North America.

The review aligns with the company’s "Powering Care" strategy to better support its brands and organisational structure, with a decision expected by the end of 2024. Key brands under Kimberly-Clark include Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, and Cottonelle.

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Criteo Earnings For Q3 2024 Show -2.2% YoY Revenue Decline, Net Income Down By -7.4% YoY

-2% YoY Opinions

Earnings

Oct 30, 2024

Digiday reports:

Criteo reported mixed Q3 results with a 2% revenue decline to $459 million but a 13% gross profit increase. Despite challenges from the shift away from third-party cookies, Criteo’s retail media revenue rose 22%, while traditional ad retargeting dipped by 5%.

The company expects Q4 revenue growth, citing strong holiday expectations and a new Microsoft partnership following the closure of Microsoft’s PromoteIQ. Criteo’s future focus is on global growth and transformation, though questions persist about its reliance on third-party cookies.

Analysts also noted Google’s ad tech struggles, which may open opportunities for Criteo in the evolving landscape.

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Roku Earnings For Q3 2024 Show +16.5% YoY Revenue Growth, Net Loss Down By -97.3% YoY

+ 17% YoY Opinions

Earnings

Oct 30, 2024

Variety reports:

Roku reported strong Q3 2024 results, surpassing Wall Street expectations, with $1.062 billion in revenue and a net loss of $0.06 per share. Streaming hours rose to 32 billion, and Roku added 2 million streaming households, reaching 85.5 million.

However, Roku announced it would stop regularly reporting streaming households and ARPU from Q1 2025, focusing instead on Platform revenue, streaming hours, adjusted EBITDA, and free cash flow. The Platform segment earned $908 million, up 15% with a 54.2% gross margin.

For Q4, Roku forecasts $1.14 billion in revenue, anticipating growth from political ads and Trade Desk integration.

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Microsoft Earnings For Q3 2024 Show +16.0% YoY Revenue Growth, Net Income Up By +10.7% YoY

+ 16% YoY Opinions

Earnings

Oct 30, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Bloomberg reports:

Microsoft’s shares fell after it forecast slower growth in Azure cloud revenue due to data centre delays impacting AI service demand. Despite a 16% revenue increase to $65.6 billion in Q1 and exceeding profit expectations, Azure’s growth decelerated from 35% to 34%.

Microsoft has increased capital expenditure by 50% to meet AI infrastructure needs, spending $14.9 billion.

CEO Satya Nadella highlighted AI’s role in growth, with 12% of Azure’s growth attributed to AI. The company expects its AI business to exceed $10 billion in annual sales, though investors remain concerned about immediate returns on AI investments.

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Reddit Earnings For Q3 2024 Show +67.9% YoY Revenue Growth, Net Income Up By +504.3% YoY

+ 68% YoY Opinions

Earnings

Oct 30, 2024

FT reports:

Reddit has reported its first-ever quarterly profit, posting a net income of $29.9 million in Q3, up from a loss of $7.4 million last year.

This unexpected profit, driven by ad tech improvements and machine translation to expand its global reach, pushed shares up 25%. Revenue surged 68% to $348.4 million, surpassing Wall Street estimates.

CEO Steve Huffman outlined plans for global expansion, modernising search features, and supporting official business presences on Reddit. Although Reddit continues to explore licensing deals for data sales, Huffman indicated these remain limited, with partnerships primarily involving smaller companies.

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Disney to Pay More Than $500 Million to Air the Grammys, reports WSJ

General

Oct 30, 2024

Disney has secured a ten-year deal worth over $500 million to host the Grammy Awards, starting in 2027, ending CBS’s 50-year run with the show. The new arrangement allows Disney to air the Grammys on ABC, Disney+, and Hulu simultaneously, with the Recording Academy producing additional content for Disney’s platforms.

This acquisition enhances Disney’s lineup of major awards shows, which already includes the Oscars.

CBS, which pays $50 million to air the show in 2026, lost the rights after being outbid. CBS parent company Paramount Global is undergoing leadership changes and cost-cutting measures amid a pending acquisition by Skydance Media.

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Amazon Prime Video Officially Sold Out of Black Friday NFL Ad Inventory, reports AdWeek

General

Oct 29, 2024

Amazon Prime Video’s ad inventory for its Black Friday NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders has sold out.

Danielle Carney, Amazon's head of U.S. live sports and video sales, highlighted that 40% of this year’s advertisers are new to the platform, including brands from CPG, grocery, and niche retail.

Last year’s Black Friday game attracted nearly 10 million viewers, with interactive ads engaging audiences 10 times more than typical ads. Amazon’s NFL broadcasts draw younger, affluent viewers, enhancing engagement through shoppable ads and extended viewing times.

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Netflix taps new VP of advertising as ad biz prepares for crucial 2025, reports MarketingDive

General

Oct 29, 2024

Leadership Transitions

Netflix has appointed Nicolle Pangis as Vice President of Advertising, replacing Peter Naylor, who left in July. Pangis, former CEO of TV ad sales company Ampersand, will report to Amy Reinhard and oversee advertising sales for the U.S. and Canada.

Her appointment supports Netflix’s evolving ad strategy, aiming to scale its ad business by 2025. Netflix’s ad-supported membership grew 34% in Q3 2024, now comprising half of new sign-ups in ad markets.

Upcoming plans include testing its in-house ad-tech platform in Canada and expanding programmatic capabilities globally, aiming to position brands within Netflix’s popular content.

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Viant Licenses Comscore Data for Training ViantAI

General

Oct 29, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Viant Technology has expanded its integration with Comscore, enhancing ViantAI, an autonomous media buying platform, by using Comscore’s audience reach and site ranking data. This collaboration allows ViantAI to provide advertisers with reliable, data-driven media planning and optimisation tools, creating more precise media plans in seconds.

Viant’s CEO, Tim Vanderhook, highlighted the partnership as a step toward delivering AI-as-a-Service for advertisers, ensuring credible insights for informed decisions.

Comscore’s Chief Commercial Officer, Steve Bagdasarian, noted the integration as a means of providing essential digital audience insights, reinforcing Viant’s focus on transparency and innovation in AI-driven advertising.

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David Ellison Will Hold Full Control of Combined Paramount-Skydance Following Deal Close, per Updated Filing, reports Variety

M&A

Oct 29, 2024

Leadership Transitions

David Ellison, CEO of Skydance, will hold full voting control of the Ellison family’s interests in the merged Skydance-Paramount, according to a new FCC filing. Ellison will chair and lead “New Paramount,” combining Skydance and Paramount Global assets, with control held through family entities.

The Ellison family will hold 77.5% of National Amusements (NAI), the controlling shareholder of Paramount, while RedBird Capital Partners will own 22.5%. The NAI board will include five Ellison-appointed and two RedBird-nominated members.

The merger, finalising Paramount’s family ownership, involves extensive restructuring and layoffs to cut costs by $500 million annually.

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X Algorithm Feeds Users Political Content, Whether They Want It or Not, reports WSJ

General

Oct 29, 2024

The Wall Street Journal found that new users on X (formerly Twitter) interested in nonpolitical topics received significant political content, mainly favouring Donald Trump and questioning election integrity.

Despite X's claim that political posts are a small part of the platform, over half of new users’ feeds featured such content due to frequent reappearances. Kamala Harris's campaign posts were the most-viewed, followed by Trump-supporting content.

Elon Musk, who supports Trump, frequently appears in recommendations, and his posts top users’ feeds. Republicans are major political advertisers on X, and right-leaning content has become more prominent under Musk’s leadership.

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Alphabet Earnings For Q3 2024 Show +15.1% YoY Revenue Growth, Net Income Up By +33.6% YoY

+ 15% YoY Opinions

Earnings

Oct 29, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

CNBC reports:

Alphabet, Google's parent company, reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings with $88.27 billion in revenue, boosted by a 35% increase in cloud revenue to $11.35 billion, largely driven by its AI offerings. Earnings per share reached $2.12, exceeding estimates, while YouTube ad revenue slightly surpassed expectations at $8.92 billion. Google Search revenue rose 12.3% to $49.4 billion, remaining the largest revenue contributor.

Alphabet is also focusing on AI to enhance cost efficiencies.

Other divisions, like Waymo and Google Lens, saw growth, and the recent leadership restructuring is expected to influence operating results.

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Snap Earnings For Q3 2024 Show +15.5% YoY Revenue Growth, Net Loss Down By -58.4% YoY

+ 16% YoY Opinions

Earnings

Oct 29, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Bloomberg reports:

Snap Inc.’s third-quarter revenue grew 15% to $1.37 billion, exceeding analysts' expectations as its focus on direct-response advertising begins to pay off. Snapchat’s daily active users rose 9% year-over-year to 443 million, driven by increased video engagement. However, Snap forecasted holiday quarter revenue slightly below projections due to weaker demand from large brand advertisers.

Despite a net loss of $153.2 million, the company’s loss narrowed from last year, and it authorised a $500 million share buyback.

Snap continues to invest in AI and augmented reality to enhance ad targeting and video content recommendations. Shares rose 4% post-announcement.

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Google upgrades Call Ads to Responsive Search Ads format, reports Search Engine Land

General

Oct 28, 2024

Google is requiring advertisers to update call ads to the responsive search ads (RSA) format, introducing new requirements like landing pages and business names. This change aims to improve ad flexibility, reach, and asset management.

Advertisers relying on call ads for lead generation must update existing ads by adding a business name and final URLs. While the upgrade won’t affect ad performance, the older call ad format will no longer be available for new ads after the transition.

Taking action now ensures campaigns continue to perform effectively under the new RSA requirements.

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Zalando Taps Crossmedia For Global Media Duties, reports MediaPost

General

Oct 28, 2024

Berlin-based online retailer Zalando has selected Crossmedia as its global media agency. The agency will support Zalando’s strategy, planning, and market coordination across Europe, while aiding the company’s in-house media capabilities and refining its scalable approach across 25 key local markets.

Zalando, which reported nearly $11 billion in revenue for 2023, offers digital services through Zalando Marketing Services (ZMS) and logistics solutions via Zalando Fulfillment Solutions (ZFS).

Additionally, its B2B brand, ZEOS, allows fashion brands to manage multi-channel sales across Europe on a single platform.

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Brazil institute sues social media giants for $525 mln over usage by minors, reports Reuters

General

Oct 28, 2024

Brazil's Collective Defense Institute has filed lawsuits against TikTok, Kwai, and Meta’s Brazilian units, demanding 3 billion reais ($525.27 million) over alleged failure to prevent excessive use of their platforms by minors. The suits call for stronger data protection and mental health warnings, emphasising the risks of social media addiction among children and teens.

Meta responded, highlighting its ongoing safety measures for young users, including a forthcoming "Teen Account" feature on Instagram for Brazil. TikTok and Kwai stated their commitment to user safety, especially for minors.

The case follows rising social media regulation debates in Brazil.

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Meta Developing Its Own AI Search Engine, The Information Says, reports Bloomberg

General

Oct 28, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Meta is developing its own web search engine to support its AI chatbot, aiming to reduce reliance on Google and Microsoft’s Bing, which currently provides information on news, sports, and stocks.

This move could reduce Meta's dependence on external sources for information delivery.

Following the news, Alphabet’s shares fell by 0.8%, while Meta’s rose by 0.3%.

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Over 200,000 subscribers flee Washington Post after Bezos blocks Harris endorsement, reports NPR

General

Oct 28, 2024

News Publishing

The Washington Post is experiencing a surge in cancellations and columnist resignations following Jeff Bezos's decision to block an endorsement for Kamala Harris’s presidential bid. Over 200,000 subscribers cancelled, reflecting dissatisfaction with the decision’s timing, just weeks before a tight election. Some columnists have criticised Bezos’s action as caving to Trump, questioning its motives given Bezos's other business interests, including Blue Origin’s contracts with NASA.

Bezos defended his stance, claiming it aimed to maintain editorial independence.

However, former editors argue the decision compromises the paper's integrity and risks losing the support of loyal readers and staff.

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Elon Musk’s xAI adds image understanding capabilities to Grok, reports TechCrunch

General

Oct 28, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, has added image-understanding capabilities to its Grok AI model, allowing premium users on the X platform to upload images and ask questions about them. Musk noted that Grok can even interpret humour in images, though the feature is in early stages.

Previously, the Grok-2 model included image generation, and xAI plans to further expand multimodal capabilities for documents and other file types soon.

X is also enhancing its Premium+ subscription with new features like Radar, which provides real-time trend insights, to increase the platform’s appeal.

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Google expands AI Overviews in Search to more than 100 countries, reports TechCrunch

General

Oct 28, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Google Search’s AI Overviews, which provide summarised information at the top of search results, are now available in over 100 countries, with more than 1 billion users monthly. Initially launched in the U.S. in May, AI Overviews now support multiple languages, including English, Hindi, and Japanese.

Recent updates include in-line links within Overviews to improve website traffic, and ads are now shown for relevant mobile queries in the U.S.

Despite some early missteps, Google has refined the feature and plans to introduce a similar tool on its Shopping page to enhance user experience.

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Samsung TV Plus Hits 88 Million Monthly Active Users

General

Oct 28, 2024

Samsung TV Plus, Samsung’s free ad-supported streaming service, has achieved notable growth with 88 million monthly active users and a 50% increase in global viewership year-on-year.

Driven by a diverse audience, particularly Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X, it has expanded globally, recently launching in Singapore and the Philippines and soon in Thailand. Offering over 3,000 channels and extensive on-demand content, Samsung TV Plus appeals to viewers seeking premium, free alternatives.

The platform is a powerful tool for advertisers, providing targeted ads and performance metrics, especially in the 18-49 demographic, with interactive ad options enhancing user engagement.

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Google Quietly Tests AI Search Ad Tool to Help Advertisers Reach New Audiences, reports AdWeek

General

Oct 28, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Google is testing an AI-driven search tool, Search Bidding Exploration, designed to target low-traffic queries that yield conversions, aiming to help advertisers find valuable yet less popular searches.

Part of Google’s Smart Bidding suite, this tool aims to improve ad performance by identifying audiences that standard algorithms might overlook. While it may lead to a 10% decrease in return on ad spend, the goal is to increase overall clicks and conversions.

Currently in beta and available to select advertisers, the tool offers increased transparency, addressing buyer concerns about AI models attributing too much credit to conversions in reports.

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Musk’s X to undershoot revenue goals from political advertising, reports FT

General

Oct 26, 2024

Elon Musk’s X platform is set to fall short of its 2024 target of $100 million in political ad revenue, having raised only $15 million so far, primarily from Republican sources, including Donald Trump’s campaign.

Despite CEO Linda Yaccarino’s efforts to boost political ad spending and reverse declining revenues after major brands withdrew, X remains underperforming compared to larger platforms like Google and Meta, which have seen significantly higher political ad spending from Democrats.

Concerns over Musk’s content moderation stance and his support for Trump have deterred many Democrats from advertising on X, further hindering revenue growth.

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Google to Preview AI That Takes Over Computers, Information Says, reports Bloomberg

General

Oct 26, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Google reportedly plans to preview AI technology capable of managing web browser tasks, such as research and shopping, with its upcoming Gemini language model in December. Known as Project Jarvis, the initiative aims to automate web interactions directly within the browser.

These tentative plans could still change, and Google has not commented on the report.

This development reflects Google’s ongoing efforts to advance AI functionality within everyday digital tasks.

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Integral Ad Science Explores Potential Sale, reports Bloomberg

M&A

Oct 25, 2024

Integral Ad Science (IAS) is considering a potential sale after receiving takeover interest, sources say. The digital ad measurement and verification firm is working with Jefferies Financial Group on its options.

Shares of IAS rose by up to 17%, with a market value reaching $1.9 billion, while Vista Equity Partners, holding around 40%, is its largest shareholder. Deliberations are reportedly in early stages with no certainty of a sale.

Founded in 2009, IAS went public in 2021, providing services to verify and measure digital advertising reach. Neither IAS nor Jefferies have commented on the matter.

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X Revamps Ads Platform, reports MediaPost

General

Oct 25, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

X has launched an overhauled Ads platform, targeting small businesses with new AI-powered features aimed at enhancing ad efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The platform, now accessible to select advertisers, allows users to set cost per action and includes automatic tracking pixel creation, bid optimisation for ROI, one-click DM support, and AI-based Auto Targeting to reach intended audiences more effectively.

Following an 80% decline in ad revenue post-Elon Musk's takeover, X hopes to regain advertiser trust, especially among smaller brands.

This revamp is influenced by Angela Zepeda, X's new global marketing head, to drive platform growth and recovery.

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Meta, Google and TikTok Must Face Schools’ Addiction Claims, reports Bloomberg

General

Oct 25, 2024

A US District Judge has ruled that Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap must face lawsuits filed by school districts, which claim their “addictive” apps contribute to a mental health crisis among students. The companies face over 150 cases in Oakland, contrasting with a Los Angeles ruling that dismissed similar claims.

The school districts argue these platforms’ designs foster addiction, forcing schools to spend resources addressing student mental health issues. While the tech companies deny wrongdoing and highlight safety measures, they face potential public nuisance claims, similar to those in the Juul cases.

First Amendment protections remain a key legal consideration.

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Missouri to probe Google over allegations of censoring conservative speech, reports Reuters

General

Oct 25, 2024

Missouri's Republican Attorney General, Andrew Bailey, has launched an investigation into Google over alleged censorship of conservative speech.

Bailey, in a post on social media platform X, claimed Google is biased, though he provided no evidence. Google has denied the allegations, labelling them "totally false" and stating that its search engine serves all users regardless of political beliefs.

This move reflects ongoing Republican claims of anti-conservative bias on social media, although tech companies have consistently denied such accusations. Former President Donald Trump recently suggested prosecuting Google for alleged bias if he wins the upcoming U.S. election.

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Meta strikes multi-year AI deal with Reuters, reports Axios

General

Oct 25, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Meta has reached a multi-year agreement with Reuters to use its news content in the Meta AI chatbot, marking Meta’s first AI-focused news deal.

Starting Friday, U.S. users can ask Meta’s chatbot about current events and receive responses with Reuters-sourced summaries and links. Reuters will be compensated, though it is unclear if the deal includes using Reuters’ content to train Meta’s AI model, Llama.

Meta previously moved away from integrating news on its main feeds, but AI's need for real-time information has prompted this partnership, reflecting the industry trend towards licensing deals to prevent misinformation ahead of elections.

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Discover Wiped Out MFA Spend By Following These Four Basic Steps, reports AdExchanger

General

Oct 25, 2024

Made For Advertising

The ANA and TAG TrustNet’s latest Programmatic Media Transparency Benchmark report reveals how brands can reduce spending on made-for-advertising (MFA) sites to nearly 1%, down from 4% in June. Discover Financial Services implemented these recommendations, cutting its MFA spend by 99%.

Key strategies include buying from fewer sites, using inclusion lists, reducing SSPs, and accessing log-level data. This approach not only lowers wasted spending but also reduces MFA’s higher carbon footprint.

The ANA aims to guide brands with anti-MFA frameworks and ensure better data transparency, with Discover as a successful case study in this initiative.

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X is set to expand its NFL content partnership with new portal, reports Digiday

General

Oct 25, 2024

X is set to expand its NFL partnership with a new “NFL Portal” by year-end, offering fans scores, schedules, videos, and posts from players, teams, and insiders on a dedicated sports tab. This builds on a multi-year content agreement and leverages the platform's extensive NFL engagement, which accounts for 40% of all sports content.

CEO Linda Yaccarino highlighted increased NFL interactions, noting a 29% rise in video views since last year.

X is also investing in exclusive sports content, including Women’s National Basketball Association and a Serena Williams series, aiming to revitalise its ad business through live sports engagement.

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YouTube adds channel-level ad category blocking controls, reports Search Engine Land

General

Oct 24, 2024

YouTube is adding ad-blocking controls directly into YouTube Studio, allowing creators to manage ad preferences without AdSense. Available to monetised channels, the new settings enhance brand safety and give creators more control over content monetisation. However, limiting certain ad categories may reduce revenue for both creators and Google.

The update, rolling out this week, provides creators with easier ad management, but they must weigh brand safety against possible earnings impacts.

This shift aims to improve satisfaction and brand alignment but may lead to increased competition for fewer ad placements.

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UK revives plan to reform data protection rules with an eye on boosting the economy, reports TechCrunch

General

Oct 24, 2024

The U.K.’s new Data (Use and Access) Bill aims to boost the economy by £10 billion through public sector efficiency and streamlining data-sharing across sectors like healthcare. The bill revises GDPR reforms, keeping U.K.-EU data adequacy intact, but has raised concerns.

Digital rights group Open Rights Group (ORG) warns it weakens data protection, particularly on automated decision-making, and gives more control to the government over the ICO’s independence. It also proposes easing privacy notice requirements, updating cookie rules, and raising fines for electronic communications breaches.

Critics fear reduced data rights and greater corporate access under the guise of research.

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Google’s Anthropic AI Investment Gets Formal UK Merger Probe, reports Bloomberg

General

Oct 24, 2024

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an initial investigation into Google’s $2 billion investment and cloud agreement with AI startup Anthropic, assessing potential market impacts.

This move reflects global regulatory concerns that major tech investments in AI could distort competition. The CMA is also considering investigating Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI, though it recently cleared Amazon’s $4 billion investment in Anthropic due to limited local revenue impact.

The CMA has until 19 December to decide on a deeper probe. Google has not yet commented on the investigation.

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Perplexity says will defend itself in the Dow Jones and New York Post lawsuit, reports Reuters

General

Oct 24, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Perplexity has rejected claims of copyright infringement made by News Corp’s Dow Jones and the New York Post, asserting the lawsuit is misleading and pledging to defend itself. News Corp alleged that Perplexity unlawfully uses its copyrighted content without permission, ignoring a licensing proposal sent in July. Perplexity refuted this, claiming it replied immediately to the letter and that the lawsuit was unexpected.

This legal dispute marks the latest conflict between publishers and tech firms over unauthorised content use in AI systems.

Perplexity’s AI-driven tool summarises information from select webpages, aiming to challenge Google’s search engine dominance.

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LinkedIn Fined €310 Million for Illegal Data Practices in EU, reports Bloomberg

General

Oct 24, 2024

Ireland’s data protection commission has fined LinkedIn Ireland €310 million for unlawfully processing EU users’ personal data for targeted advertising, violating the GDPR. The regulator also ordered LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, to align its data processing with EU regulations.

LinkedIn stated that the issue relates to 2018 claims regarding its EU ad practices and affirmed its commitment to comply by the regulator’s deadline.

The investigation followed a complaint to France’s data regulator, highlighting Ireland’s key role in enforcing EU rules due to the presence of Big Tech firms’ European headquarters in the country.

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Brands unprepared as new FTC deceptive advertising rules take effect, reports The Drum

General

Oct 23, 2024

Influencer Marketing

The FTC’s new regulations, effective from 14 October, target deceptive advertising practices, mandating transparency in influencer partnerships and endorsements, with fines up to $43,792 per violation. Many brands are unprepared, struggling to adapt to the stringent rules.

Kaeya Majmundar of SwayID expressed concern over the swift rollout and brands’ lack of awareness, likening it to past regulatory shifts like the ADA compliance surge. SwayID’s compliance solutions have gained attention as brands urgently seek support.

Experts advise brands to ensure clear disclosure of paid partnerships and authenticity to avoid substantial penalties in this new regulatory landscape.

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Google Performance Max gets new AI-powered video creation, asset testing, reports Search Engine Land

General

Oct 23, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Google has unveiled major updates to its advertising tools, integrating its Imagen 3 AI model for enhanced creative optimisation and adding new Performance Max capabilities.

Key features include Imagen 3-powered high-quality image generation, sharable ad previews for easier collaboration, and AI-enhanced video adaptation for different formats. Performance Max gains new asset testing capabilities, final URL expansion testing, and improved campaign management with Ad Rank-based prioritisation over Standard Shopping campaigns.

These tools aim to simplify workflows and improve ad effectiveness, especially with the upcoming beta release of asset experiments for Performance Max with product feeds.

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Pinterest faces EU privacy complaint over tracking ads, reports TechCrunch

General

Oct 23, 2024

European privacy rights group noyb has filed a GDPR complaint against Pinterest, accusing the platform of unlawfully tracking and profiling users for targeted ads without consent. Filed with France’s data authority, CNIL, the complaint alleges Pinterest is relying on “legitimate interest” rather than user consent, despite a recent EU ruling prohibiting this for personalised ads.

noyb also claims Pinterest failed to respond fully to a user’s data access request, withholding information on third-party data sharing.

Pinterest denies the claims, stating its advertising practices comply with GDPR and noting that personalised ads are disabled for under-18s in the EU and UK.

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EU antitrust chief nominee vows to intensify Big Tech crackdown, reports Reuters

General

Oct 23, 2024

Teresa Ribera, nominated as the EU’s next antitrust chief, has pledged stricter enforcement of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to curb Big Tech monopolies and foreign state-subsidised firms.

Ribera, addressing the European parliament, highlighted the need for efficient antitrust investigations, support for small and mid-sized EU businesses against “killer acquisitions,” and streamlined state aid rules.

With China’s EV market dominance in focus, Ribera supports up to 45% tariffs on Chinese EVs, citing WTO compliance. She emphasised that regulatory efforts alone won’t suffice, advocating for a comprehensive industrial strategy to strengthen the EU's position in clean tech and automotive sectors.

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Lack of Origin data transparency puts broadcasters on backfoot, says Sky Media exec, reports The Media Leader

General

Oct 23, 2024

UK broadcasters are expressing concerns over transparency and data access in Isba's cross-media measurement platform, Origin.

Sky Media's Karin Seymour highlighted that sellers lack the same access to reports as clients, putting them at a disadvantage. She emphasised the need for fair comparisons between media standards.

While broadcasters support holistic views for advertisers, they fear that Origin's differing standards may harm TV. Advertisers like Boots and Tesco welcome Origin's ability to show incremental media reach, while broadcasters are focusing on performance marketing to attract new-to-TV advertisers, with AI potentially reducing production costs for smaller brands.

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Google Emphasizes AI Performance As Advertisers Pick Up Holiday Strategies, reports MediaPost

General

Oct 23, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Google has introduced new AI-driven features to its ad products, enhancing campaign performance for advertisers ahead of the holiday season. The updates include shareable ad previews, AI-powered video creation, and asset testing for Performance Max.

Google's text-to-image model, Imagen 3, can now generate high-quality images from natural-language prompts. Advertisers can also test different asset combinations to optimise results. Additionally, Google is adjusting how Performance Max campaigns interact with Standard Shopping campaigns, giving Ad Rank priority in determining which campaign serves an ad.

These improvements aim to streamline the creative process and boost audience reach.

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Google releases tech to watermark AI-generated text, reports TechCrunch

General

Oct 23, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Google has made SynthID Text, its tool for watermarking and detecting AI-generated text, publicly available. This tool, now downloadable from Hugging Face and Google’s Responsible GenAI Toolkit, allows developers to identify AI-produced content by adjusting the likelihood of certain words being generated in text.

While SynthID Text doesn’t impact the quality or speed of text generation, it struggles with short texts, translations, and factual prompts.

As AI-generated content grows, watermarking could become crucial in combatting disinformation. Legal regulations, such as those in China and potentially California, may soon mandate watermarking of AI content.

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Fox Corp. Restructures Ad Staff, Enhances OneFox Cross-Platform, reports MediaPost

General

Oct 23, 2024

Leadership Transitions

Fox Corp. is restructuring its advertising sales team to boost performance in the evolving cross-media landscape. Jeff Collins, Fox's president of advertising sales, said the changes focus on operations, technology, and strategy, enhancing brand connections across sports, news, entertainment, and streaming platform Tubi. The restructuring includes new hires such as Ebony Moore and Brian Schepis, while existing staff take on expanded roles.

Fox aims to deliver more scalable ad products and improve data and measurement capabilities.

The company has faced a 17% decline in advertising revenue over the past year, despite airing major events like the Super Bowl.

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IPG Mediabrands Wins Amgen U.S. Media Review, reports MediaPost

General

Oct 23, 2024

Biotechnology company Amgen has selected IPG Mediabrands to manage its U.S. media agency assignments following a formal review process. The incumbents, Omnicom and WPP, were replaced after a four-month process.

Amgen's estimated U.S. media spending is $289 million, according to COMvergence.

In a statement, Amgen cited IPG Mediabrands' "best-in-class capabilities and strong talent" as reasons for their selection.

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WPP Returns to Growth, Beating Expectations, reports WSJ

General

Oct 23, 2024

WPP reported a 0.5% rise in organic revenue for the third quarter, surpassing expectations of a 0.1% decline. This return to growth follows previous declines, driven by increased spending from major clients and stabilisation in the technology sector.

Despite this, WPP still expects full-year revenue to be flat or decline by up to 1%. Losses in China, where revenue dropped 21%, were offset by 1.7% growth in North America. Recent client wins, including Amazon and Unilever, boosted confidence, though full impact is expected in 2025.

WPP's net new billings reached $1.5 billion, up from $1.4 billion last year.

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Meta Platforms defeats shareholder lawsuit over child safety claims, reports Reuters

General

Oct 23, 2024

A U.S. judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, which alleged they misled shareholders about child safety on Facebook and Instagram. The plaintiff, Matt Eisner, failed to show that shareholders suffered economic losses due to Meta’s disclosures.

The judge ruled that Meta was not required to disclose the full extent of sexual content or exploitation of children on its platforms. The dismissal was with prejudice, meaning Eisner cannot refile the case.

Meta still faces separate lawsuits from state attorneys general, parents, and school districts regarding social media addiction risks.

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Advertisers and publishers call on Apple CEO Tim Cook to suspend the iPhone's new Distraction Control feature, reports Insider

General

Oct 22, 2024

A coalition of French advertising and media associations has urged Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt the rollout of iPhone’s new “Distraction Control” feature, citing risks to revenue and content integrity.

Available in iOS 18, the feature allows users to hide distracting elements, including ads, on websites in Safari, potentially bypassing GDPR-required cookie consent prompts and diminishing publishers' ad income. The coalition also warned of content manipulation risks, as Distraction Control could make selective information-sharing easier.

The groups, seeking clarity on the feature’s functions, are exploring legal avenues and have copied their concerns to French and EU regulatory bodies.

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Spotify launching an ad exchange, will partner with Trade Desk, reports Axios

General

Oct 22, 2024

Spotify is piloting its own ad exchange, the Spotify Ad Exchange (SAX), initially focused on video, to scale its automated ad offerings. By doing so, Spotify aims to capture more ad revenue from small- and medium-sized businesses while helping larger brands spend more efficiently.

The Trade Desk is its first demand-side platform (DSP) partner, providing access to Spotify’s video ad inventory, with audio ads to follow.

This move, alongside Spotify's push into video and cookie-less targeting through Universal ID 2.0, aims to help Spotify better compete with platforms like Meta and Google for digital ad spending.

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Meta quietly adds automatic adjustments to ad accounts, raising concerns, reports Search Engine Land

General

Oct 22, 2024

Meta has quietly introduced "automatic adjustments" in advertising accounts, allowing its system to make significant changes, such as pausing or activating campaigns, adjusting budgets, and consolidating ad accounts and audiences, without advertiser approval or notification.

While this automation may enhance performance, it raises concerns about loss of strategic control, with some advertisers reporting disruptions, such as reduced ad spend and unwanted audience consolidations. Advertisers can opt out by navigating to "Automated rules" and toggling the feature off.

This shift highlights the increasing role of automation in campaign management, but with potential risks for advertisers.

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Google tests video-enabled shopping ads in search results, reports Search Engine Land

General

Oct 22, 2024

Google is testing a new video feature in shopping ads, where a play icon transforms into a "watch" button when hovered over, allowing users to view looped product videos directly within search results.

This feature could boost engagement as video ads typically outperform static ones, but may reduce traffic to advertisers' landing pages since users remain on Google's search page.

This test reflects Google's ongoing efforts to integrate rich media into ads and retain users within its ecosystem. If rolled out more widely, it could shift how advertisers measure success, prioritising in-ad interactions over website visits.

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DOJ Seeks Information From Google About Generative AI Plans, reports MediaPost

General

Oct 22, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking information from Google about its generative AI initiatives to propose a remedy for the company's alleged search monopoly.

The government wants to ensure competition remains possible during AI's transformative "paradigm shift." It is particularly interested in how Google plans to integrate AI into search, preinstall AI products on smartphones, and distribute them via Chrome.

Google argues that the government's request is too broad, covering AI developments unrelated to search, such as Google Maps and Gmail. A conference on the matter is set for October 24.

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Netflix Backs Out of Plan to Develop Blockbuster Videogame, reports WSJ

General

Oct 22, 2024

Gaming / Metaverse

Netflix has abandoned plans to develop a high-end "Triple-A" video game, opting to focus on casual games instead. The decision led to the dismissal of around 30 employees working on a multiplayer shooter game.

Triple-A games are costly to develop, and Netflix’s version was intended for multiple platforms, including smartphones and TVs. Netflix will still offer third-party games, such as titles from Grand Theft Auto.

Despite expanding into gaming to retain users, only 1% of Netflix’s daily active users play its games. The company is now exploring ways to monetise its gaming offerings, including in-app purchases and ads.

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Amazon sets ultra-low pricing plans for Temu rival store, reports Reuters

General

Oct 22, 2024

Amazon is set to impose strict price caps on products in a new low-cost storefront, with limits such as $8 for jewellery, $13 for guitars, and $20 for sofas, according to a report by the Information.

This move marks a strategic shift for Amazon, which typically doesn’t set such limits for sellers. Orders will be shipped from Guangdong, China, with lower fulfilment fees for sellers.

The initiative aims to compete with discount platforms like Temu and Shein. The change comes as Amazon's retail sales growth slows, with online sales rising just 5% in the second quarter.

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IPG Earnings For Q3 2024 Show -1.9% YoY Revenue Decline, Net Income Down By -90.2% YoY

-2% YoY Opinions

Earnings

Oct 22, 2024

AdWeek reports:

Interpublic Group (IPG) reported a 2.9% decline in third-quarter net revenue to $2.24 billion, with flat organic growth. This lags behind competitors Publicis and Omnicom, which posted organic revenue growth of 5.8% and 6.5%, respectively.

IPG’s ad agencies saw a 1.9% organic decline, offset by losses at IPG Health and McCann Worldgroup. The loss of Amazon’s media account further impacted performance. IPG maintained its 1% organic growth target for 2024, despite economic and political uncertainties.

CEO Philippe Krakowsky highlighted ongoing agency sales and the company’s focus on principal media buying as a future growth opportunity.

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Disney will name Bob Iger’s replacement in early 2026, James Gorman to become board chair next year, reports CNBC

General

Oct 21, 2024

Leadership Transitions

Disney has appointed James Gorman as its next chairman, replacing Mark Parker in January 2024, as the company continues to plan for CEO Bob Iger’s succession in early 2026. Gorman, who joined Disney’s board in 2023, will lead the succession planning committee.

His appointment follows the dismissal of Iger’s previous successor, Bob Chapek, in 2022. Gorman has prior experience in overseeing leadership transitions at Morgan Stanley.

While the timeline offers clarity, the search for Iger’s successor remains ongoing, with Disney conducting due diligence on both internal and external candidates. Iger's contract as CEO runs until the end of 2026.

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Wall Street Journal and New York Post Sue AI Startup Perplexity, Alleging Massive Freeriding, reports WSJ

General

Oct 21, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Dow Jones and the New York Post, owned by News Corp, are suing AI search engine Perplexity for copyright infringement, accusing it of using their content without permission to answer user queries. The lawsuit, filed in New York, alleges that Perplexity reproduces articles and generates responses based on copyrighted material, diverting traffic from publishers’ websites. News Corp is seeking damages of up to $150,000 per infringement.

Despite legal challenges, Perplexity is reportedly raising $500 million in funding, valuing the company at $8 billion.

The lawsuit highlights ongoing tensions between news publishers and AI firms over content usage.

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The UK’s ICO Is Helping Ad Tech Companies With Privacy Compliance, reports AdExchanger

General

Oct 21, 2024

A new UK nonprofit, the Coalition for Privacy Compliance in Advertising (CPCA), is working to create the first regulator-approved privacy-compliance certification for ad tech, with support from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The CPCA aims to clarify regulatory requirements under the UK GDPR, which has caused uncertainty for ad tech companies. The certification will offer clear compliance standards, with the ICO’s approval, to ensure companies meet legal obligations.

The CPCA plans to expand its certification across the EU in the future, with input from industry bodies and an audit by the UK’s Audit Bureau of Circulations.

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Google Play Judge Temporarily Halts Order for App Store Changes, reports Bloomberg

General

Oct 18, 2024

A US District Judge has temporarily paused his order requiring Google to revamp its Google Play store policies following antitrust claims by Epic Games. The order, issued after a jury found Google abused its dominance in the Android app market, would have forced changes by 1 November, including allowing developers to offer alternative billing options.

The delay is in place until a ruling from a federal appeals court in San Francisco.

Google, pleased with the decision, faces potential financial impacts if the changes are implemented, potentially reducing Alphabet’s gross profit by $1.15 billion.

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Meta releases AI model that can check other AI models' work, reports Reuters

General

Oct 18, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Meta has released new AI models, including a "Self-Taught Evaluator" designed to reduce human involvement in AI development.

The model, introduced in August, uses the "chain of thought" method to improve responses in complex subjects like science and coding. It was trained entirely with AI-generated data, offering a potential alternative to the current Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) process, which relies on human expertise. Meta hopes this will lead to autonomous AI that can self-improve.

Other tools include updates to Meta's image-identification model and datasets for discovering new inorganic materials.

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Meta must face Massachusetts social media addiction lawsuit, reports Reuters

General

Oct 18, 2024

Meta Platforms must face a lawsuit from Massachusetts accusing it of intentionally using Instagram features to addict young users and misleading the public about its risks to teenagers' mental health.

Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Peter Krupp rejected Meta's bid to dismiss the case, ruling that federal protections under Section 230 do not cover Meta's alleged false statements about Instagram's safety and its age-verification efforts. The lawsuit claims that Instagram's design, including push notifications and infinite scrolling, exploits teens' psychological vulnerabilities for profit.

Meta denies the accusations, stating it is committed to supporting young users.

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Amazon Lays Out Its Next $50 Billion Opportunity In Advertising, reports AdExchanger

General

Oct 18, 2024

At the Amazon Ads conference in Austin, Amazon showcased its growing dominance in media, entertainment, and advertising. The company highlighted its unique combination of entertainment content, AWS cloud infrastructure, and AI investment.

Key announcements included improvements to its ad platform, with Amazon Marketing Cloud introducing simpler, SQL-free querying, and Performance Plus, an ad product similar to Google’s Performance Max. Performance Plus spans Amazon's wide range of platforms and offers transparency and control.

Despite some usability challenges, Amazon's expanding reach and advanced tools position it as a formidable player in the advertising landscape.

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Walmart is evolving its data analytics platform to reflect an AI-driven focus, reports Digiday

General

Oct 18, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Walmart launched Walmart Data Ventures almost four years ago, creating the Walmart Luminate platform to help retailers and suppliers understand shopping behaviours and product movement. The platform, now expanding and rebranding as Scintilla, integrates AI to provide actionable insights and recommendations.

Major brands, including Bimbo Bakeries and Kimberly-Clark, are using it to optimise inventory and marketing strategies. Scintilla aims to streamline omnichannel intelligence, offering detailed data on shopping patterns, inventory levels, and customer preferences.

The rebrand reflects Walmart’s goal to innovate continually and expand globally, including Canada and Mexico, without the "Walmart" name attached.

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Google will block election ads after polls close, reports Axios

General

Oct 17, 2024

Google will block all U.S. election-related ads on its platforms after the polls close on 5 November, aiming to prevent misinformation, such as premature victory claims. The policy, introduced during the 2020 election, covers ads referring to U.S. elections, their processes, or outcomes across platforms like Google Ads, YouTube, and Google’s Ad Exchange.

This measure, similar to Meta’s block on new political ads during the final campaign week, responds to concerns about misinformation. The ad pause will remain in place for several weeks, with advertisers notified once lifted.

Public information campaigns by election authorities are exempt.

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Microsoft and OpenAI’s Close Partnership Shows Signs of Fraying, reports NYT

General

Oct 17, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Tensions have risen between OpenAI and Microsoft, following OpenAI’s request for additional funding and computing power, which Microsoft resisted after OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, was briefly ousted in 2023.

Although Microsoft has been a major investor in OpenAI, the companies’ partnership has frayed due to financial pressure, stability concerns, and internal disagreements. OpenAI has sought alternative computing resources, including a deal with Oracle, and raised $6.6 billion from investors like Nvidia and MGX.

Despite the strained relationship, Microsoft continues to benefit from OpenAI’s advancements, though concerns remain about the future of their collaboration.

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Musk's X seeks to steer lawsuits to conservative court in Texas, reports Reuters

General

Oct 17, 2024

Elon Musk's social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), has updated its terms of service, requiring any user lawsuits to be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas or state courts in Tarrant County.

This change, effective from 15 November, raises concerns due to the court’s history of rulings favouring conservative causes, even though X’s headquarters are in a different district. X is already involved in lawsuits in this court, including cases against Media Matters and advertisers.

Critics suggest the venue selection reflects "judge-shopping" for more favourable outcomes in political disputes.

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Google shakes up ad auction dynamics for holiday shopping, reports Search Engine Land

General

Oct 17, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Google is introducing changes to how Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns compete in ad auctions from October. The highest Ad Rank will now determine which ad serves, removing the automatic advantage for Performance Max. This update aims to provide advertisers with more flexibility, aligning these campaigns with others in auction behaviour.

Google expects a neutral or positive impact on performance, though advertisers will need to adjust budgets, targets, and campaign strategies, particularly ahead of the holiday season.

The changes reflect Google’s broader shift towards AI-driven advertising, enhancing control while maintaining strong results.

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Elon Musk’s X is changing its privacy policy to allow third parties to train AI on your posts, reports TechCrunch

General

Oct 17, 2024

On Wednesday, X (formerly Twitter) updated its Privacy Policy, allowing third-party collaborators to use X data to train AI models unless users opt out. The changes follow X owner Elon Musk’s use of platform data for xAI’s Grok chatbot. This update suggests X is exploring data licensing to AI firms as a new revenue source.

Users will have the option to opt out, but specific settings details remain unclear until the policy becomes effective on 15 November.

Additionally, X introduced penalties for scraping content and revised its data retention policy, allowing varied retention periods based on service needs.

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Yahoo Opens Cookieless IDs To SSPs Including Amazon Publisher Services, reports MediaPost

General

Oct 17, 2024

User Identifiers

Yahoo is expanding its ConnectID identity solutions to supply-side platforms (SSPs) and partners like Amazon Publisher Services, InMobi, Magnite, and PubMatic. This integration allows publishers to maximise campaign monetisation by offering alternatives to cookies, improving audience targeting and measurement. Brands can use Yahoo’s demand-side platform to activate audiences through ConnectID.

Yahoo reports a threefold increase in spending from supply sources using identity solutions.

The expansion also supports connected TV, enabling advertisers to target and measure performance more accurately across CTV environments with partners such as Tubi, NBCU, and Paramount.

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Amazon Details Simplified Product Launch, Optimization, Measurement Path, reports MediaPost

General

Oct 17, 2024

Amazon has introduced new solutions at its unBoxed conference to help brands launch products and optimise campaign performance. The new managed service supports media buying, creative development, and advertising placements across Amazon’s platforms.

Key features include Audience Bid Boost to target users across devices and advanced measurement tools for optimising campaigns. Amazon has also introduced no-code capabilities for advertisers to gain audience insights, high-value audience segmentation, and optimal frequency monitoring.

Additionally, multitouch attribution will be tested to better understand ad effectiveness across multiple channels, with full rollout planned for 2025.

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Musk’s Empire Risks Being Targeted by EU for Potential X Fines, reports Bloomberg

General

Oct 17, 2024

The European Union may consider including revenue from Elon Musk’s other companies, such as SpaceX and Neuralink, when calculating potential fines against X (formerly Twitter) for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA). This could significantly increase penalties, as the DSA allows fines of up to 6% of global revenue for failing to tackle illegal content or misinformation.

The EU is investigating X for breaches of content moderation rules, and a decision on penalties is pending. Musk has pledged to fight any fine publicly in court.

Tesla’s revenue would be exempt, as it is not fully controlled by Musk.

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Amazon makes first foray into live news with election night special hosted by Brian Williams, reports CNBC

General

Oct 17, 2024

Amazon will host its first live news coverage on election night, with a special anchored by Brian Williams on Prime Video, starting at 5 p.m. ET on 5 November. The non-partisan programme will provide election results and analysis from various news sources, and will be available to all viewers without a Prime subscription.

Williams, who left NBC News in 2021, will interview analysts across the political spectrum.

This marks Amazon's latest expansion into live programming, following its move into live sports coverage, including deals for NBA and NFL games on Prime Video.

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Meta's oversight board seeks public comments on hate speech moderation, reports Reuters

General

Oct 17, 2024

Meta's Oversight Board is seeking public feedback on harmful immigration-related content and reviewing two Facebook cases where controversial posts were allowed to remain. The board will assess whether Meta’s hate speech policy, which offers protection only from severe attacks against refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers, is adequate.

One case involved a Polish far-right party’s meme using a racial slur, while the other featured a German post portraying immigrants as "gang rape specialists." Meta upheld both decisions after human reviews.

The board will use these cases to determine if Meta should strengthen its policies on harmful content towards immigrants.

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Google is replacing the exec in charge of Search and ads, reports The Verge

General

Oct 17, 2024

Leadership Transitions

Google is undergoing a significant leadership change, with Prabhakar Raghavan, previously head of search and ads, taking on the new role of Chief Technologist. Raghavan will focus on providing technical direction and fostering tech excellence. Nick Fox, a long-standing leader, will replace Raghavan, overseeing Google’s Search, ads, geo, and commerce divisions.

Additionally, Google is restructuring, moving the team behind its Gemini app to DeepMind and integrating the Google Assistant team into its platforms and devices division.

These changes occur as Google strengthens its AI presence while facing antitrust challenges from the US government.

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Netflix Earnings For Q3 2024 Show +15.0% YoY Revenue Growth, Net Income Up By +40.9% YoY

+ 15% YoY Opinions

Earnings

Oct 17, 2024

Bloomberg reports:

Netflix added over 5 million subscribers in the third quarter of 2024, surpassing Wall Street’s expectations. Revenue grew by 15% to $9.83 billion, with earnings reaching $5.40 per share.

Netflix’s growth was driven by a crackdown on password sharing and the introduction of a lower-priced subscription with ads. Although analysts believe the password crackdown boost is temporary, Netflix remains optimistic, forecasting 11-13% sales growth next year.

The company is focusing on expanding its advertising business and live programming, with upcoming events like live NFL games and new releases, including the return of Squid Game.

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Britain to publish online safety demands for platforms in December, reports Reuters

General

Oct 17, 2024

Britain's media regulator Ofcom will outline in December the actions required from social media companies to tackle illegal content under the Online Safety Bill. Platforms will have three months to conduct their own risk assessments, with Ofcom expecting swift compliance.

Ofcom's Chief Executive Melanie Dawes warned that firms failing to meet expectations would face severe consequences, including fines and service blocks in Britain.

Positive changes have already been seen on platforms like Meta and Snapchat, but Ofcom emphasised that 2025 would be pivotal in ensuring online safety, particularly for children.

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Publishers Are Skeptical of Adtech's Latest Buzzword, Curation, reports AdWeek

General

Oct 17, 2024

"Curation" in programmatic advertising, promoted by companies like Index Exchange and The Trade Desk, promises to improve media quality and transparency by packaging premium publishers and data. However, publishers are sceptical, viewing it as another middleman undermining direct sales and reducing revenue.

While firms like Audigent claim to drive incremental revenue, many publishers find curation offers lower rates and cannibalises existing buyers. Some worry curators are shifting demand from the open web to benefit SSPs.

Despite potential advantages for smaller publishers, many buyers report disappointing results from curated packages, questioning their true value.

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Publicis Raises Guidance But Cautions on Economic Headwinds, reports WSJ

General

Oct 17, 2024

Publicis Groupe has raised its 2023 organic growth forecast to at least 5.5%, following stronger-than-expected third-quarter organic revenue growth of 5.8%, surpassing analyst predictions of 5.6%. Despite the challenging economic environment, particularly in China and the U.S., Publicis attributes its resilience to new business wins and market-share gains.

The group's growth was evident across all regions, with North America rising 4.7%, Europe 4.9%, and Asia-Pacific 6.4%. CEO Arthur Sadoun expressed confidence in maintaining momentum in Q4 despite economic uncertainties, particularly in its Publicis Sapient consulting business.

Quarterly net revenue reached €3.42 billion.

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InMobi Advertising Offers Green Media Platform For Mobile And App, reports MediaPost

General

Oct 16, 2024

Carbon Emissions

InMobi Advertising has partnered with Scope3, a sustainability platform, to help ad buyers meet media goals while reducing campaign emissions. This collaboration allows InMobi’s clients to purchase low-emission, supply-path optimisation-compliant media.

Abhay Singhal, CEO of InMobi Advertising, highlights this as a key step in the company's sustainability efforts, aiming to set a unified standard for environmental measurement in ad tech.

Martin Bryan of IPG Mediabrands adds that sustainability is becoming a priority for consumers, with 77% wanting brands to take climate action, influencing their purchase decisions.

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NBCUniversal to Stream Local Sports on Peacock, in Bid for Cord-Cutters, reports WSJ

General

Oct 16, 2024

NBCUniversal plans to add its regional sports channels to Peacock by early 2025, allowing fans of teams like the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia Phillies to stream games. The channels will cover local markets, including Boston, Philadelphia, and Northern California, with games still available on TV. NBCUniversal may offer these channels as add-ons for local viewers.

This move is part of a broader strategy by entertainment companies to use live sports to attract streaming customers, especially as cable subscriptions decline.

NBCUniversal already streams NFL and other sports, and faces competition in the shrinking regional sports network market.

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UK to consult on opt-out model for AI content-scraping in blow to publishers, reports FT

General

Oct 16, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

The UK government is considering an "opt-out" scheme allowing AI companies to scrape content from publishers and artists unless they actively decline.

This move has sparked opposition from creatives and publishers, who argue it unfairly shifts the burden onto them and favours large tech companies. They prefer an "opt-in" system, allowing them to negotiate licensing fees for their content.

The government’s consultation on the proposal follows similar EU legislation and ongoing discussions with industry stakeholders. Concerns persist that the government is being overly influenced by tech giants, despite assurances of fair engagement from ministers.

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Meta is laying off employees at WhatsApp, Instagram, and more, reports The Verge

General

Oct 16, 2024

Meta has initiated layoffs across departments, including WhatsApp, Instagram, and Reality Labs, in line with team reorganisations rather than a companywide cut. Some employees, including notable figures like Jane Manchun Wong from Threads, have confirmed their redundancy.

A Meta spokesperson stated that the changes are part of aligning resources with long-term strategic goals and location adjustments, with efforts to reassign affected staff.

This follows previous cuts, including 11,000 jobs in 2022 and 10,000 more in 2023, as part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's "year of efficiency" initiative.

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LinkedIn expands video ad options and enhances automated campaigns, reports Search Engine Land

General

Oct 16, 2024

LinkedIn is introducing new ad features to boost video engagement and simplify campaign creation.

Updates include "Thought Leader Ads" to promote posts about company-hosted events, 30-second preview videos for live broadcasts, and enhanced event targeting. Video ads are now available to EU brands, expanding from the U.S. Additionally, LinkedIn is adding video and document ad options and new objectives like brand awareness.

These features aim to leverage LinkedIn's growing video consumption, improve targeting, and lower campaign costs, offering B2B marketers more effective ways to engage their audience. Video uploads have increased by 34% year-over-year on the platform.

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Amazon to Show Ads on Prime Video in India to Fund Investments, reports Bloomberg

General

Oct 16, 2024

Starting next year, Prime Video viewers in India will experience advertisements during shows and films, following a similar move in the US. This is part of Amazon’s strategy to fund content investments in India's competitive streaming market.

Prime Video aims to include fewer ads than other platforms and will offer an ad-free option, with pricing to be announced later. India, a rapidly growing market, is vital for Amazon, where Prime membership has surged.

Despite these changes, Prime Video's current subscription price of 799 rupees ($9.50) annually will remain unchanged for 2024.

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EU AI Act checker reveals Big Tech's compliance pitfalls, reports Reuters

General

Oct 16, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Prominent AI models from companies like OpenAI, Meta, and Alibaba are falling short of European Union regulations in key areas such as cybersecurity and discriminatory outputs, according to a tool developed by Swiss startup LatticeFlow. The tool assesses compliance with the upcoming EU AI Act, scoring models on categories like robustness and safety.

Some models, including OpenAI's GPT-3.5, scored poorly on issues like discriminatory output and cyberattacks.

The EU AI Act, due to take full effect by 2025, will impose fines on non-compliant companies, with LatticeFlow’s tool offering early insights into where improvements are needed.

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Omnicom Earnings For Q3 2024 Show +8.5% YoY Revenue Growth, Net Income Up By +5.6% YoY

+ 9% YoY Opinions

Earnings

Oct 15, 2024

AdWeek reports:

Omnicom reported $3.9 billion in revenue for the quarter ending 30 September, with 6.5% organic growth year-over-year, driven by advertising, media services, and experiential offerings. Despite uncertainties around election impacts and Q4 spending, the company maintained its 2024 growth forecast of 4% to 5%.

Omnicom's flat margins reflect investments in acquisitions and technology, including its $800 million Flywheel purchase and AI-driven content production initiatives. Recent successes, such as winning Amazon’s media account in the Americas, boosted growth.

CEO John Wren emphasised streamlining talent and technology through Omnicom Advertising Group without cutting jobs, while preserving each agency’s distinct culture.

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Google unveils AI-powered Google Shopping overhaul, reports Search Engine Land

General

Oct 15, 2024

Artificial Intelligence

Google is launching an AI-powered update to Google Shopping in the U.S., enhancing the online shopping experience.

The revamped platform offers personalised product searches, dynamic filters, and virtual try-on features, allowing users to try clothes online and filter by preferences like size and availability. A new personalised home feed will suggest products based on users' past behaviour, and a dedicated deals page highlights tailored offers. While AI-generated summaries may not always be accurate, the platform aims to improve engagement and conversions for brands.

Google Shopping’s updates will continue to evolve, with feedback guiding further enhancements.

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Meta Can’t Escape States’ Claims It Hooked Kids on Platforms, reports Bloomberg

General

Oct 15, 2024

Meta Platforms Inc. must face a lawsuit brought by 34 state attorneys general, accusing the company of contributing to a youth mental health crisis by making Facebook and Instagram addictive to children.

A federal judge in California allowed some claims to proceed, despite Meta’s defence under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which limits liability for certain platform features. However, the judge ruled that states could challenge specific features, such as filters promoting body dysmorphia.

The lawsuit follows similar legal actions against TikTok, accusing tech firms of prioritising profits over child safety. Meta has yet to comment.

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