Prepare for some pretty exciting ad news from all around the world: from Google Chrome’s updates to EU banning memes and China going crazy about football. Meanwhile, you can go through our previous digest: AdTech News Digest | FIFA Ad Guidelines, eCommerce Highlights, and App Uninstalls Report.

Starting July, Chrome Will Mark HTTP Websites as “Not Secure”

In its biggest effort to nudge users away from unencrypted websites, Google Chrome will mark HTTP sites as not secure starting July of this year. According to a blog published by Chrome Security Product Manager Emily Schechter, the browser will show a warning when visiting HTTP sites starting with version 68.

Is your website HTTPS ready? We believe that the web should be easy to use securely by default and have long advocated for adoption of HTTPS encryption. From July 2018 we’ll mark all HTTP sites as “Not Secure” in Chrome. More here: https://t.co/UJ3ZHV2mwX pic.twitter.com/xeJyN9UVT9

— Google Europe (@googleeurope) June 18, 2018

The change was brought by the widespread popularity of HTTPS, with 81 out of the top 100 sites using this encryption standard. HTTPS encryption protects the connection between website and browser, minimizing the chances of anybody intercepting or tampering with your traffic.

New Survey Indicates that 58% of Consumers Are Willing to Share Their Personal Data

A new survey has yet again concluded that most people are willing to share their personal data, as long as the circumstances are right. 58% of all surveyed consumers said they would be willing to trade personal data for services, upgrades, or some other form of reward.

At the same time, 18% said they were unconcerned, which means only 24% are not willing to share any personal information online, regardless of the circumstances.

The true takeaway for all marketers and business owners is that they have to find creative ways to build a good reputation and convince that 58% to share their information.

Global Marketing Spending to Break Records This Year

Predictions indicate that global ads spending will grow by 6.4% this year, the fastest growth rate since 2010. If predictions materialize, the record-breaking increment is set to receive a huge boost from FIFA World Cup and US midterm elections, putting the global spending at $551 (£416) billion this year alone.

Inefficient Marketing Tech Results in Loss of Sales and Revenue

60% of marketing experts admit they are leaving significant sales and revenue opportunities on the table due to poor adtech. Many believe that the lack of collaboration results in the defective use of data analytics, personalization, and poor understanding of the customer’s experience.

Playing the Game Right: Media Trends that Are Defining the World Cup

Here are 5 critical stats that are defining the World Cup:

• Online sports streaming is getting more popular – One-quarter of internet users say that they plan to watch the World Cup online.

• Social and the World Cup make a great combination – About half of all World Cup viewers will get on social media or chat with their friends while watching games at the same time.

• Football influencers are here to stay – Football influencers are becoming a force on social media. Just to put it in perspective, Cristiano Ronaldo has racked up a mammoth 570 million likes, retweets and comments between January and May of this year.

• Migrating away from Facebook – Younger football players are looking leaving Facebook behind and migrating to Instagram, which allows them to connect with fans at a more personal level.
• Football fever in China – Although China didn’t make the World Cup, it’s predicted that their advertising spend will reach $97.9 billion during this period and will mostly target football-craving millennials.

The Rise of Fake Online Reviews

Trust may be a brand’s most valuable asset when it comes to building a lasting relationship with consumers. Many users turn to online reviews to learn more about a particular product or service, so it’s important for companies to have their products analyzed online.

That being said, there has been an unfortunate rise in fake online reviews. This unethical practice may affect all companies, but those that outsource their marketing are more vulnerable.

You should always make sure that fake evaluations don’t make up more than 10% of your total reviews in order to maintain a good relationship with your audience.

EU Votes In Favor of Implementing Censorship Machines and Banning Memes

In a highly controversial decision, the European Parliament Committee on Legal Affairs has voted in favor of articles 11 and 13 of the EU’s new copyright reform. Both of these effectively establish censorship machines, a link tax, and a resounding ban on memes.

EU wants to ban online memes, because why spread humour and joy? https://t.co/3OF2gGSEkS pic.twitter.com/ZoIYSI1jeA

— Trusted Reviews ?? (@trustedreviews) June 8, 2018

Article 11, known as the link tax, forces websites to get a license from publishers before using snippets of journalistic content. On the other hand, article 13 is known as the censorship machine because it holds websites responsible for user behavior.

Platforms will have to do everything in their power to prevent users from posting copyrighted content, perhaps putting an end to the widespread of memes in Europe.

Apple Prohibits the Use of iPhones for Crypto Data Mining

In the latest release of Apple’s App Store rules, the company has taken a clear stance against cryptocurrency mining with their devices.

Shady developers are known for placing software that mines cryptocurrencies in unrelated apps and ads. This can hinder the performance of iPhones and other signature gadgets, so Apple has taken a huge step to improve their devices’ rendition and safeguard consumers at the same time.