Efforts by tech giants to be more transparent about the ads they run are — at very best — still a work in progress, according to a report looking at ads transparency tools.
The report’s top-line conclusion is that platforms’ ad oversight tools are falling short of delivering the intended transparency and democratic accountability in a critical year for elections globally.
Judging by the report findings, something similar may be playing out in platforms’ early responses to DSA demands for ads transparency.
“Major gaps”They do note there has been some developments since they carried out their transparency tools tests.
But, as the report suggests, it’s all too easy for platforms to inject intentional friction into transparency tools, whether by restrictive design or sloppy implementation or both.
Government spyware is another reason to use an ad blockerAd blockers might seem like an unlikely defense in the fight against spyware, but new reporting casts fresh light on how spyware makers are weaponizing online ads to allow governments to conduct surveillance.
Spyware makers are reportedly capable of locating and stealthily infecting specific targets with spyware using banner ads.
One of the startups that worked on an ad-based spyware infection system is Intellexa, a European company that develops the Predator spyware.
Ad blockers don’t just hide the ads, but rather block the underlying website from loading the ads to begin with.
In 2022, the FBI said in a public service announcement to use an ad blocker as an online safety precaution.
This piece combines Ai video, Ai photo, 3D CGI, 2D VFX, Motion graphics, 35mm film, digital video and advances in Ai voiceover.
Every current Ai tool was explored and pushed to the maximum.” [I have left “AI” as “Ai” throughout.]
In an apparently now-deleted comment, Walker says that they did ask for access to Joshua, but “were rejected several times.
They didn’t need crew, they didn’t need locations, they didn’t need craft… Filmmakers have to stand together as we traverse this new AI landscape.
Perhaps they underestimated the passion of the creators whose decidedly analog and human-focused processes actually produce original and compelling content.
Europe eyes LinkedIn’s use of data for ads in another DSA askMicrosoft-owned professional social network, LinkedIn, is the latest to get a formal request for information (RFI) from the EU.
Of specific concern is whether LinkedIn is breaching the DSA’s prohibition on larger platforms’ use of sensitive data for ad targeting.
Profiling based on such data to target ads is banned under the law.
The DSA also empowers the EU to impose fines for incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information in response to an RFI.
LinkedIn isn’t the only platform to be in the EU’s spotlight when it comes to use of data for ads.
Reddit is introducing a new ad format that looks similar to posts made by users on the platform, the company announced on Thursday.
The new ad format, called free-form ads, is designed to feel similar to the content that users share with each other in order to help advertisers get maximum engagement.
Although the new format may be enticing to advertisers, ads that look like regular posts may not be a welcome addition for users.
The company says the new ad format would be a good way to do things like launch a product or introduce a brand to a new audience.
Similar to other ads on Reddit, users will be able to differentiate between free-form ads and regular posts through a “Promoted” label displayed next to the company’s name on a post.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov said that the company expects to hit profitability next year with eyes on going public in the future.
While Telegram is not looking to raise a mega round, the company is open to investment in exchange for smaller equity.
The company also offers ad solutions for one-to-many channels and plans to launch ad revenue sharing with channel owners this month.
Durov told FT that ad solutions currently are limited to certain geographies and the company mandates agencies to spend between €1mn and €10mn.
Apart from these solutions, Telegram has also experimented with blockchain-based projects through the TON foundation.
But it’s a fragmented market with different streaming apps, channels and live sports leagues.
But even if you remove the big names, there are quite a few different ad-supported streaming services, such as FAST (free advertising-supported streaming television) services like Pluto, big OTT platforms like Fubo, and of course broadcasters themselves like Paramount, Warner Bros., CNN, etc.
We have Benjamin Antier on the board — he’s the founder of Publica, the biggest ad server for streaming apps.
Using Vibe’s ad platform is pretty straightforward.
After picking the streaming apps and channels where you want to show your ads, you can select a geographical area and an audience based on various interests.
Telegram CEO and founder Pavel Durov announced today that the company is launching its ad platform next month, allowing channel owners to receive financial rewards.
In March, the Telegram Ad Platform will open to channel owners in nearly one hundred countries, marking a major shift toward content monetization.
“Similar to our approach with Telegram usernames on Fragment, we will sell ads and share revenue with channel owners in Toncoin.
YouTube offers a 55% share of ad revenue to creators in the YouTube Partner Program, while X started offering revenue sharing to users in July 2023.
Telegram has more than 800 million monthly active users around the world, and Telegram users generate over 500 billion views in broadcast channels every month.
Instagram said today that it is expanding its marketplace tool to connect brands with creators for paid partnerships or ads in eight new countries.
Meta added that apart from making the platform available to the brands in these eight countries, it will also invite Chinese export brands to connect with creators outside of China.
Marketers can approach creators for a paid partnership or even a partnership ad, which allows advertisers to boost organic content as ads.
On the marketplace, Meta helps brands match with relevant creators for a particular marketing campaign through its machine learning algorithm.
Instagram’s rivals like Snap, YouTube, and TikTok all offer creator marketplace functionality.
MY FIRST X VIDEO MADE OVER $250,000!
Luckily for Musk, MrBeast is a fan of his — but, business comes first.
Throughout MrBeast’s test, though, some users raised concern that the video was being treated by X as though it were an advertisement, which could possibly juice engagement.
Ryan Broderick hypothesized that videos might be wrongly labeled as ads if a pre-roll ad plays before the video, but this still causes a lot of confusion on the user end.
A representative from X did not respond for comment.
