EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES INITIAL PROPOSAL TO BAN SOME TARGETED ADS
The Digital Services Act, which was first introduced in 2020, will prevent platforms, like Google, Amazon, and the Meta-owned Facebook, from using sensitive information, such as sexual orientation, race, and religion for targeted ads. It will require services to give users the ability to easily opt out of tracking, and pressures platforms to remove illegal content and products online, including hate speech or counterfeit goods.
GOOGLE ACCUSED OF USING “DARK PATTERNS” TO TRACK USERS OPTED OUT OF TRACKING
It is alleged that Google used repetitive pushes, pressure tactics, and evasive and misleading descriptions of features and location settings.
Location data is extremely important to Google. It helps to return relevant local search results and effectively target Google Ads ads.
APPLE LAUNCHES CUSTOM OFFER CODES FOR IN-APP SUBSCRIPTIONS
The feature lets Apple developers create unique discount codes to share with customers for better-value subscriptions to their apps or in-app offers.
This will make it significantly easier to reach new and existing subscribers or entice those who recently left to return. Previously, discount codes were randomly generated and could only be used once.
GOOGLE ABANDONS FLOC AND INTRODUCES NEW TOPICS API TECHNOLOGY
The FLoC project will be shut down. Google announced working on a new technology — "Topics", which is to become more confidential than Cookies.
The idea is that the browser will learn about the user's preferences through the history of sites visits, which will be stored for up to three weeks.
GOOGLE ADS SCRIPTS ROLLS OUT SUPPORT FOR ASSET-BASED VIDEO ADS
This functionality replaces the previous media-based video ads which will not be supported any longer.
Advertisers that have scripts to create new video ads must migrate their code by February 28, 2022.
GOOGLE PLAY IS GETTING AN ‘OFFERS’ TAB
The company says the tab will surface deals across travel, shopping, media, fitness and entertainment apps: first delivery for free, for example.
The offers tab is rolling out over the coming weeks to users in the United States, India and Indonesia. Google plans to launch the new tab in more countries later this year.