AdTech News Digest | New Browser by Amazon, YouTube Removed 8+ Million Videos and more…
Here’s a summary of the latest news to keep you informed about the latest changes in the world of online advertising.
Check out previous digest – AdTech News Digest | YouTube Halting 3rd-Party Ad Serving & Mobile Ad Trends.
#1 Targeted Ads Still On: Facebook Requires Users to Agree Despite New EU Law
The introduction of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) promises massive changes in online privacy and the gathering of personal information. That being said, Facebook will still require users to agree to targeted ads as a prerequisite for using the social network.
According to Facebook’s Deputy Chief Privacy Officer, Rob Sherman, the social media platform will start asking for approval in order to use people’s data. But, the option to completely opt out of targeted marketing ads won’t be available.
At the same time, US companies should also be anticipating the implementation of the GDPR. This law directly affects any company that gathers or processes information from EU citizens, which means that thousands of American ventures will also need to make adjustments.
For this reason, four of the largest tech companies in the world – Amplitude, AppsFlyer, mParticle and Braze — have designed and launched a GDPR compliance framework.
Known simply as OpenGDPR, the framework allows companies and their partners to handle all requests and communications regarding the new data regulation practices.
#2 Amazon Launches an Ultra-Efficient Browser in India
Amazon has quietly launched a super-efficient web browser for Android devices simply called “Internet”. The app is only available in India and it has been sitting in Google play app since March, collecting more than 1,000 downloads in that time span.
Image by The Verge
One of the biggest talking points with modern browsers is their performance. Amazon’s Internet is designed to provide top-notch performance without requiring a lot of memory from your device. At the same time, the browser provides basic features and is optimized to work on unstable networks as well.
It’s worth noting that Amazon is directing its attention to emerging markets. Instead of trying to break difficult locations, Internet has only been released in India. This browser is believed to be directed at markets that don’t have high-speed internet connections available, allowing Amazon to become an established player in these mid-level segments.
#3 Featured Apps Boosted More Than 800% in iSO 11’s New App Store
With so many apps crowding Apple’s iOS 11’s App Store, it’s no surprise that finding a reliable application may be challenging.
This is one of the main reasons why Apple started featuring “App of the Day” spots.
A new study released by Sensor Tower analyzes the performance of these apps since September of last year in order to assess their success. The study concluded that applications that land “App of the Day” can experience an increase in downloads of more than 800%. At the same time, similar features may also boost download rates and ultimately give your app the exposure it needs.
#4 Google Removes Fake Ad Blockers for Chrome from Web Store
Today, online privacy and security are becoming more and more important, reason why many consumers choose to download ad blockers for their browsers. Unfortunately, a recent investigation launched by AdGuard has exposed five different phony ad-blockers.
Having more than 20 million combined users, these extensions would pose as ad-blockers and collect customer information in the background. These bogus blockers also manipulated browser behavior, but Google removed the malicious apps shortly after the report was released.
#5 Chrome 66 Updates and Google’s “Chat” Texting Platform
Google’s latest Chrome has finally been released after weeks of speculation. The most notorious improvement is that autoplay sounds are muted by default. While this function was meant to be released in January with Chrome 64, it has finally been perfected and included in the browser’s latest version.
And, even though Google has gained a reputation for delivering practical products, the company still hasn’t been able to provide a solid texting platform for Androids. Unlike Apple products that come with iMessage, Android’s native texting platforms leave much to be desired.
But, Google is reportedly developing new technology that they hope will supersede SMS. The new platform, simply called “Chat”, will not work as a new application but simply act as a new set of features inside Android’s default messaging software, ideally bringing all their woes to an end.
#6 Abusive Content Shutdown: YouTube Removed More than 8 Million Videos During Q4 2017
YouTube is among the most successful video-sharing sites in the world. Besides having the ability to reach millions of users, this also means that controlling and categorizing content is a lot more challenging.
That being said, the YouTube has recently announced that it removed more than 8 million videos due to extremist or violent content between October and December of last year. In addition to this, the video-sharing giant also notes that 76% of all the videos removed were eliminated before reaching a single view.
#7 Above the Rest: Below the Fold Ads Up to Nine Times More Engaging
All marketers are familiar with the terms above the fold and below the fold. Traditionally, above the fold has always been regarded as the best placement for ads. However, a recent study by Sovrn suggests that digital ads placed below the fold may perform up to 9 times better than those place above that threshold.
The same study also concluded that engagement ads sharply increased on mobile devices. This is largely due to the fact that mobile screens are much smaller and require more obvious actions in order to consume content.
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