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  • Norway On the Verge of Banning Google Analytics

    Norway On the Verge of Banning Google Analytics

    Norway may soon join the list of EU countries banning Google Analytics following an initial conclusion that it violates the GDPR.

    Google Analytics has increasingly come under fire by EU jurisdictions, accused of violating European data protection laws, specifically the GDPR. According to Simple Analytics, the Norwegian data protection authority (Datatilsynet) has issued a preliminary decision that “the use of Google Analytics was in violation of the GDPR’s transfer rules.”

    At the heart of the issue is a 2020 EU ruling that US cloud providers are not in compliance with the GDPR. There have long been concerns regarding the transmission of EU user data to US cloud providers, especially given US cloud providers’ obligation to assist US intelligence agencies.

    When Austria became one of the first jurisdictions to issue an adverse ruling against Google Analytics, Max Schrems, honorary chair of The European Center for Digital Rights (noyb), predicted it would simply be the first of many such rulings.

    “We expect similar decisions to now drop gradually in most EU member states,” Schrems said. “We have filed 101 complaints in almost all Member States and the authorities coordinated the response. A similar decision was also issued by the European Data Protection Supervisor last week.

    “This is a very detailed and sound decision,” Schrems continued. “The bottom line is: Companies can’t use US cloud services in Europe anymore. It has now been 1.5 years since the Court of Justice confirmed this a second time, so it is more than time that the law is also enforced.”

    As Simple Analytics points out, it is possible — although unlikely — that Norway’s final conclusion will differ from its initial conclusion. If Norway’s final decision is in line with its preliminary one, it will join Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, and Italy, all of whom have ruled against Google.

  • DOJ & Eight States Sue Google for Monopolizing Digital Ads

    DOJ & Eight States Sue Google for Monopolizing Digital Ads

    Google is once again in the crosshairs for alleged monopolistic behavior, accused of dominating multiple digital ad products.

    The US government has been trying to crack down on Big Tech and Google has been a prime target. The Department of Justice has once again taken aim at the company, this time over its ad business. The DOJ was joined by Attorneys General of California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Virginia.

    The lawsuit alleges that Google abuses its control of the various components of the online advertising technology, called the “ad tech stack.” Because Google controls the entire stack, the company is in a position to unfairly dictate terms. The lawsuit claims Google has leveraged that position to force competitors out of the market or buy them out, as well as force companies to increasingly use its products exclusively.

    “Today’s complaint alleges that Google has used anticompetitive, exclusionary, and unlawful conduct to eliminate or severely diminish any threat to its dominance over digital advertising technologies,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “No matter the industry and no matter the company, the Justice Department will vigorously enforce our antitrust laws to protect consumers, safeguard competition, and ensure economic fairness and opportunity for all.”

    In particular, the DOJ’s claims focus on four areas:

    • Eliminating competition through acquisitions.
    • Forcing customers to use Google’s ad products.
    • Interfering with ad auction competition.
    • Manipulating ad auctions to protect its own business at the expense of competitors.

    “The complaint filed today alleges a pervasive and systemic pattern of misconduct through which Google sought to consolidate market power and stave off free-market competition,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “In pursuit of outsized profits, Google has caused great harm to online publishers and advertisers and American consumers. This lawsuit marks an important milestone in the Department’s efforts to hold big technology companies accountable for violations of the antitrust laws.”

  • Conversational Marketing Closes the Gap Between B2C and B2B, Says Drift Marketing VP

    Conversational Marketing Closes the Gap Between B2C and B2B, Says Drift Marketing VP

    Conversational marketing is a whole new way of thinking about marketing and sales, says Dave Gerhardt, VP of Marketing at Drift. “We go to our jobs in B2B and none of the tools that we use match how we actually buy as real people,” he says. “That’s the most exciting thing to me about conversational marketing. It’s really closing the gap between B2C and B2B. We just call it B2P, marketing to people.”

    Dave Gerhardt, VP of Marketing at Drift, was recently interviewed on the B2B Growth podcast by John Rougeux who is VP of Marketing at Skyfii. Gerhardt discusses conversational marketing as a new B2B product category and how it is changing marketing from reaching out to you later to a conversation that is happening now:

    Conversational Marketing is About Connecting You Now

    Conversational marketing is a whole new way of thinking about marketing and sales. The traditional way of doing marketing and sales is all about later. Come to my website and fill out this form and somebody is going to reach out to you later, when it’s convenient for them. The big shift that is happening in marketing and business over the last five to ten years is customers have all the power today. You can’t make people wait. Information is free now.

    I can find anything I want to know about a company without ever having to go to your website. It’s crazy to think that you are going to force people to go to your website, fill out a form, wait three days to hear back from your sales team, and then get a demo. Conversational is all about connecting you now with the people who are ready to buy now while they are live on your website.

    B2P – Marketing to People

    It’s not about buyers. It’s not about sellers. It’s not about sales. It’s not about marketing. It’s about people. That’s how people all communicate online today. I pressed one button in my car and I got a list. I ordered something from Amazon while I was here this morning to send back to my house and it’s going to be there tomorrow when I get home. There are countless examples of that. That is how we all behave online in our real lives today.

    But then something happens weird happens. We go to our jobs in B2B and none of the tools that we use match how we actually buy as real people. That’s the most exciting thing to me about conversational marketing. It’s really closing the gap between B2C and B2B. We just call it B2P, marketing to people.

    What Ties Our Products Together is Conversation

    We have an email product and we have a landing page product. Black and white versions of those people would say everybody has email, everybody has landing pages. The thing that ties those together is conversation. That forces us to think about what is conversational email? What is conversational landing pages? What is conversational whatever? That one word forces our product team to think about how can we change this? If our fundamental stance as a company is that the internet should be one conversation, then how does that weave into everything that we build?

    Ultimately what we care about is that email becomes a conversation. Meaning, the way that marketers have had to use email the last decade is a one-way channel. Email is meant to be a two-way channel. Marketers have been using it as, “John come to my webinar.” What happens if you actually respond to that email? Most of the time you can’t because it’s donotreply@ or it just goes to some inbox where nobody is answering it. That is a terrible experience. Our belief is that if you reply, “Hey actually I can’t make it. Can you reregister my colleague?” That should get handled. We are thinking of that from an evolution standpoint.

    The same thing with landing pages. Most landing pages today are static. You go to the landing page, put a bunch of info in and you are gone. What if that was a real-time conversation on the page? That one topic has to weave itself into everything we do from a product perspective.

    >> Listen to the complete interview with Drift Marketing VP Dave Gerhardt on the B2B Growth podcast.

  • Retailers Should Focus On The Last Mile, Says Justuno CEO

    Retailers Should Focus On The Last Mile, Says Justuno CEO

    “Conversion optimization is the same as it’s been for a while,” says Justuno CEO Erik Christiansen. “People still don’t want to focus on the last mile. We’ve kept to the same message that retailers should be investing in their current website visitors. There’s always low-hanging fruit to improve your business. How do you take one marketing dollar and stretch it as far as you possibly can? It’s all about creativity. That’s what marketing is and that’s what retail is.”

    Brand growth expert Austin Brawner of Ecommerce Influence interviewed Justuno CEO Erik Christiansen about conversion optimization:

    Retailers Should Focus On The Last Mile

    Conversion optimization is the same as it’s been for a while. People still don’t want to focus on the last mile. Finally, in 2020, we saw that shift when advertising got so expensive. Everyone is like, okay, we have minimal budgets, how do we stretch them? Finally, with all the competition from COVID where everyone’s shifting online everyone, they are saying that we can’t keep just throwing money at this. We’ve got to come up with the real problem.

    When we first launched we had to pivot immediately because when we mentioned the word coupon or the word pop-up people just ran the other way. It’s been ten years of education and we’ve kept to the same message of investing in your current website visitors. Our main job still is to educate the online retailer about the basics. We ask most businesses, as you know with email, are you doing a 30, 60, 90 day, the basics? Are you doing a cart abandonment email? You cover the basics and you get so much further ahead.

    There’s always low-hanging fruit

    Everyone thinks businesses are run perfectly but most businesses are just a mess. What I’ve been trying to do is challenge my team to look at the basics. There’s always low-hanging fruit to improve your business. When it comes to retail, where’s the low-hanging fruit? Let’s break out your business to the basics like new visitors versus repeat. With the new ones, how many are there? What percentage of emails are we capturing? Are we sending those emails to your ESP? Are we putting in the basic workflows? There’s so much low-hanging fruit.

    Then, you’re sending these emails, are you reinforcing those campaigns on-site? You spend so much time designing the email, sending it. Then it comes to that shopping cart abandonment. Do you even know how many people come to your cart each day? Do you know how many carts get abandoned and the dollar value? What can we do? The basics are still very much there in terms of opportunity to help people increase their sales lead capture and sales. How do you take one marketing dollar and stretch it as far as you possibly can? How do you also get creative? It’s all about creativity. That’s what marketing is and that’s what retail is. Retail is retailing and getting your hands dirty.

    Retailers Should Focus On The Last Mile, Says Justuno CEO Erik Christiansen
  • France Fines Apple $8.5M for Collecting iPhone User Data Without Consent

    France Fines Apple $8.5M for Collecting iPhone User Data Without Consent

    France’s CNIL has fined Apple $8.5 million for collecting iPhone user data without obtaining prior consent.

    Apple has tried to position itself as a privacy-first company, often highlighting the difference between it and Google or Meta. A major part of that marketing is making the case that Apple doesn’t want, need, or care about user data. Unfortunately, the reality isn’t quite matching up to the hype.

    The CNIL has fined Apple for collecting data from iPhone users that it then used for targeted ads, all without obtaining prior consent from the users. According to the regulatory agency, the Cupertino company did not get “the consent of French iPhone users (iOS version 14.6) before depositing and/or writing identifiers used for advertising purposes on their terminals.”

    What’s more, the CNIL says Apple make it unnecessarily difficult for individuals to deactivate the data collection, especially since the option was not available during initial setup.

    The fine is unusual for Apple, given the company’s well-cultivated reputation, but it does illustrate a growing disparity between Apple’s image and reality. Apple has previously been accused of being the primary beneficiary of its privacy crackdown, while other companies have been significantly harmed.

    Similarly, Apple has been accused of turning a blind eye to companies that have used loopholes to bypass the iOS App Tracking Transparency feature, continuing to track users against their wishes.

    If Apple wants to continue to maintain its reputation as a privacy-first company, it clearly has work to do in order to live up to its own marketing hype.

  • Twitter Ad Engineers Get the Axe

    Twitter Ad Engineers Get the Axe

    Twitter ad engineers are the latest to be laid off, an odd choice given Elon Musk’s determination to improve ad revenue.

    Twitter has engaged in a number of layoffs since Musk bought the company, as the new CEO has worked to slash costs in the interest of profitability. One of the major challenges the company has faced is the loss of advertisers over some of Musk’s more controversial decisions.

    Given Musk’s need to gain and keep new advertisers, one would think that ad engineers would be the one jobs safe from layoffs. Unfortunately, according to The Information, that is not the case, with some 40 ad engineers and data scientists being laid off.

    The layoffs targeted areas that Twitter’s leadership considers to be failing, such as the ads product, and unimportant, such as data science, the person said. Twitter’s ad revenue has reportedly plunged in recent months, as advertisers respond to Elon Musk’s loosening of rules around content moderation and the general chaos as Musk shakes up the company.

  • Meta Fined Another $414 Million Over Online Ads

    Meta Fined Another $414 Million Over Online Ads

    The European Union has once again fined Meta, this time to the tune of $414 million, over forcing ads on individuals.

    Meta uses its user agreement contracts to force individuals to accept ads based on their activity. According The Wall Street Journal, EU regulators have determined that Meta cannot force users to accept the ads, and that users should have the ability to opt out of them.

    As part of the decision, the EU is fining Meta $414 million and giving the company three months to make the necessary adjustments and stop forcing behavioral ads on its users.

    Meta has already said it disagrees with the decision and will appeal the decision and fine.

    “We strongly believe our approach respects GDPR, and we’re therefore disappointed by these decisions,” a spokesman said.

    Should the decision and fine be upheld, it will be a major shift in online advertising for companies within the EU bloc.

  • Google Ad Manager Is Back Up After an Outage

    Google Ad Manager Is Back Up After an Outage

    Google had a major outage with its Google Ad Manager late Thursday evening, before fixing it more than two hours later.

    Google posted the following message on its Google Ads Status Dashboard a little after 8:00 pm Eastern Time:

    We’re investigating reports of an issue with Google Ad Manager. We will provide more information shortly. The affected users are able to access Google Ad Manager, but are seeing error messages, high latency, and/or other unexpected behavior.

    Ad Manager is not delivering ads for the affected users.

    A little more than two hours later, the company posted the following:

    The problem with Google Ad Manager has been resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and continued support.

    Ad serving has now been restored for the affected users.

  • LinkedIn Prevails Against hiQ in Website Scraping Lawsuit

    LinkedIn Prevails Against hiQ in Website Scraping Lawsuit

    LinkedIn has won its lawsuit against hiQ over the latter’s practice of scraping data from LinkedIn’s website against the company’s User Agreement.

    LinkedIn’s User Agreement prohibits companies from scraping personal data, using scraped data, and creating fake accounts. Scraping data refers to the process of collecting information from websites, most often using automated methods, bots, and scripts. For years, hiQ ignored those terms and collected LinkedIn user data, leading to the lawsuit.

    Sarah Wight, VP, Legal – Litigation, Competition, and Enforcement at LinkedIn, shared news of the win in a post on the site:

    Today in the hiQ legal proceeding, the Court announced a significant win for LinkedIn and our members against personal data scraping, among other platform abuses. The Court ruled that LinkedIn’s User Agreement unambiguously prohibits scraping and the unauthorized use of scraped data as well as fake accounts, affirming LinkedIn’s legal positions against hiQ for the past six years. The Court also found that hiQ knew for years that its actions violated our User Agreement, and that LinkedIn is entitled to move forward with its claim that hiQ violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

    According to AdWeek, Judge Edward Chen said hiQ “experimented and attempted to reverse engineer LinkedIn’s systems and to avoid detection by simulating human site-access behaviors. hiQ also hired independent contractors known as ‘turkers’ to conduct quality assurance while ‘logged-in’ to LinkedIn by viewing and confirming hiQ customers’ employees’ identities manually.”

    The ruling is good news for LinkedIn, as well as its users, and goes a long way toward protecting platforms and their users from unauthorized use. The ruling continues a precedent set when LinkedIn won a similar case against Mantheos, also over data scraping.

    The type of behavior hiQ was found guilty of is not uncommon in the tech world. Another infamous example is Clearview AI, a company that built a facial recognition database by scraping some of the most popular websites in the world, including top social media platforms. The victim companies and websites have consistently maintained that Clearview’s actions go against their terms and user agreements. With LinkedIn winning both of its cases, companies like Clearview may — thankfully — have a short lifespan.

  • The Biggest Beneficiary of Apple’s Privacy Crackdown: Apple

    The Biggest Beneficiary of Apple’s Privacy Crackdown: Apple

    According to a new report, Apple has benefited enormously from its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) privacy feature.

    Apple introduced ATT as a way for users to opt-out of being tracked across apps and services. Under the program, app developers are required to request permission to track users. While many privacy advocates celebrated the move, other companies warned that Apple’s plans would harm them and give Apple an unfair advantage.

    According to a new report by Appsumer, that appears to be exactly what has happened, with Apple benefiting immensely from its ATT policy at the cost of more established players.

    “The key headline is the comparison between Meta and Apple Search Ads’ (ASA) advertiser adoption and share-of-wallet changes YoY,” writes Appsumer’s Simon Whittick. “ASA joined the duopoly of Meta and Google at the top table of advertiser adoption as it grew adoption nearly four percentage points YoY to 94.8%, while Meta adoption declined three percentage points to 82.8%.”

    Credit: Appsumer

    “This trend also played out with share-of-wallet as ASA gained five percentage points YoY reaching a 15% share, whilst Meta declined four percentage points YoY, still finishing significantly ahead with a 28% share,” Whittick continues. “Meta also recovered share-of-wallet when comparing Q4 21 to Q2 22, suggesting that they’re starting to recover from initial ATT headwinds. Google remained fairly steady on both metrics as most of their inventory sits on the Android platform.”

    The report is bad news for Apple, as it puts the company’s pro-privacy stance in a different light. The company has already faced antitrust scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions as a result of ATT, with regulators worried it gives the Cupertino company an unfair advantage — which the report shows it clearly does.

    Read more: Tim Cook: ‘We’re Not Against Digital Advertising’

    Of course, none of this would be a problem if Apple wasn’t in the advertising business to begin with. As we have stated many times at WPN, it’s both expected and fair for a free service to rely on advertising to support it. It’s an entirely different thing for a company that already charges a premium for its products and services to then subject its users to ads in an effort to squeeze every last bit of value it can.

    Unfortunately, Apple seems to have lost sight of this and is greatly expanding its advertising business, with plans to bring more ads to iPhones, iPads, and Macs. As long as the company continues to try to have its cake and eat it too, by enforcing ATT and still running its own ad business, the company will continue to be plagued with antitrust concerns.

  • Microsoft Advertising Can Now Import Facebook Ads

    Microsoft Advertising Can Now Import Facebook Ads

    Microsoft has announced its Advertising platform can now import Facebook Ads.

    Many companies live or die by their online advertising. Especially in the wake of the pandemic, many small businesses have increasingly shifted to online sales, making their advertising more important than ever.

    For companies looking to expand their advertising reach, recreating a successful campaign on another platform can be a time-consuming proposition. Microsoft is hoping to make it easier, releasing Facebook Import to help companies import their Facebook ad campaigns into the Microsoft Audience Network.

    Are you new to audience campaigns, or looking to expand your existing presence on the Microsoft Audience Network? Using Facebook Import, it’s now easier than ever to get audience campaigns up and running by importing from Facebook Ads. Now rolling out to all advertisers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France and Germany, this new feature is designed to save you time and maximize ROI by seamlessly bringing over your campaigns from the Facebook Audience Network into the Microsoft Audience Network. Facebook Import can be used as a standalone tool, as well as a powerful complement to any existing Google Import strategy.

    The new feature can be accessed via the Import menu in the Microsoft Advertising dashboard.

  • France Warns Companies Over Google Analytics Use

    France Warns Companies Over Google Analytics Use

    Companies in France are being warned that default use of Google Analytics is illegal over concerns of data transfer between the EU and US.

    France’s National Commission for Informatics and Liberties (CNIL) ordered a website to stop using Google Analytics in February over data privacy concerns. The CNIL has now issued updated guidance that deems the default use of Google Analytics illegal.

    Unlike the US, the EU has comprehensive privacy legislation in the form of the GDPR. A 2020 EU court ruling established that US cloud providers do not meet GDPR requirements. In particular, there is concern over US cloud providers being forced to work with intelligence agencies and hand over customer data to them.

    By default, Google Analytics shares customer data, transferring it from the EU to the US. This gives Google access to the data, and is therefore in breach of the GDPR. The CNIL has already sent out notices to some organizations, but is warning all to make changes as soon as possible. Those changes can include modifying how Google Analytics works, so it does not export data to the US, or stop its use altogether.

    Below is a statement from the CNIL website [translated]:

    “Organizations given formal notice have a period of one month to comply and justify this compliance to the CNIL. This one-month period may be renewed, at the request of the organizations concerned.

    “All data controllers using Google Analytics in a similar way to these organizations must now consider this use as illegal under the GDPR.”

  • Senators Introduce Bill to Break Up Google and Meta

    Senators Introduce Bill to Break Up Google and Meta

    A bipartisan group of senators is taking aim at Google and Meta, introducing a bill that would break up the companies’ ad businesses.

    Google and Meta are the dominant advertising platforms online, and both have been accused of anti-competitive behavior. Such behavior has increasingly drawn the scrutiny of regulators on both sides of the Atlantic, with a bipartisan group of senators ready to take action.

    The Competition and Transparency in Digital Advertising Act (CTDA) has been introduced by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), as well as Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). The bill would prohibit companies with more than $20 billion in digital ad transactions from owning more than one part of the ecosystem. This measure would address concerns aimed at Google, which is seen as controlling virtually all aspects of the online advertising industry.

    Read more: There’s a Wiki to Remind You of All Big Tech’s Controversies

    Similarly, smaller companies that process more than $5 billion in ad transactions would be required to meet certain criteria aimed at protecting both the competition and the consumer.

    Senator Lee said, “Digital advertising is the lifeblood of the internet economy. It supports most of the free content and services Americans have come to rely upon, including essential local journalism, and it allows businesses of every size to reach their customers quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately, online advertising is also suffering under the thumb of trillion-dollar tech companies.

    “Companies like Google and Facebook have been able to exploit their unprecedented troves of detailed user data to obtain vice grip-like control over digital advertising, amassing power on every side of the market and using it to block competition and take advantage of their customers. The conflicts of interest are so glaring that one Google employee described Google’s ad business as being like ‘if Goldman or Citibank owned the NYSE.’”

    Needless to say, Google is calling foul on the new bill, telling The Verge that it is “the wrong bill, at the wrong time, aimed at the wrong target.” The company then went on to blame “low-quality data brokers” for the issues targeted by the bill.

    It remains to be seen if the bill will pass, although its early bipartisan support is certainly something of an indicator. The bill is also the latest evidence of regulators’ growing impatience with Big Tech, and what they perceive as abuses of its power and influence.

  • Google’s Russian Subsidiary Files For Bankruptcy

    Google’s Russian Subsidiary Files For Bankruptcy

    Google’s Russian subsidiary is filing for bankruptcy in the wake of the company halting some business in the country and authorities seizing its assets.

    Like many companies, Google suspended some operations within Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. In particular, the company halted its ad business in the country. In response, Russian authorities have seized Google’s bank accounts, making it impossible to continue doing business, according to CNET.

    “The Russian authorities’ seizure of Google Russia’s bank account has made it untenable for our Russia office to function, including employing and paying Russia-based employees, paying suppliers and vendors, and meeting other financial obligations,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement.

    Google plans on keeping its free services available in-country, including YouTube, Gmail, and Maps.

  • Privacy-Focused Tech Companies Call for Ban on ‘Surveillance-Based Advertising’

    Privacy-Focused Tech Companies Call for Ban on ‘Surveillance-Based Advertising’

    A group of tech companies with a history of protecting user privacy is calling for a ban on “surveillance-based advertising.”

    Mojeek, along with DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, StartPage, Fastmail, Proton Technologies and others have written a letter calling on the US, UK, EU and Australia to take action against the dominant form of online advertising. Mojeek is a UK-based search engine that has not tracked users since its inception, and holds the distinction of being the first privacy-oriented search engine. Similarly, the other companies on the list have a long history of protecting user privacy.

    The companies make the case in their open letter that surveillance advertising, commonly called “personalization,” is a threat to consumers, businesses and democracies. The companies also stand as examples that prove it’s possible to build a profitable business without exploiting consumers.

    We are a group of businesses who write to you today to show our support to this initiative. We represent small, medium and large businesses who all believe -and demonstrate on a daily basis -that it is possible to run profitable companies without exploiting the privacy of individuals.

    The companies emphasize they are not anti-advertising, they simply want the industry to use technologies and methods that don’t involve invading the privacy of users.

    Although we recognize that advertising is an important source of revenue for content creators and publishers online, this does not justify the massive commercial surveillance systems set up in attempts to “show the right ad to the right people”.

    Other forms of advertising technologies exist, which do not depend on spying on consumers, and alternative models can be implemented without significantly affecting revenue. On the contrary – and that we can attest to – businesses can thrive without privacy-invasive practices.

  • Data Collection in a World of Internet Privacy

    Data Collection in a World of Internet Privacy

    The use of online tracking tools is one of the primary methods that businesses can use to inform their marketing efforts and therefore grow revenue. In order to do this, companies with an online presence most often use cookies and tags, also known as web beacons, to gather data about their consumers and their habits. Cookies are small text files that a website can place on a user’s device that enables them to recognize and track their online behavior. Similarly, tags are the technical mechanism by which cookies are stored on a user’s device, collecting data including but not limited to the pages they view, products they purchase, and how they accessed the website.

    Because of the expansive technology that businesses can use to gather personal data on their customers, there are many privacy regulations that have been put into place to protect the rights of the user when online, which may be part of why cybersecurity insurance rates are rising. For example, in Europe, ePrivacy Directive is the governing body of user experience and privacy, and secures one’s right to privacy in terms of online tracking, personal profiting, unsolicited marketing tactics, and nonconsensual data harvesting by third parties. Similarly, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) addresses data protection regardless of data type, giving users multiple rights and powers over where and with whom their data is shared. In the United States, state-specific legislation gives users rights related to the processing of their personal information. California, Colorado, and Virginia are only a few of the many states that outline specific guidelines for how data and private information is handled.

    If too many users refuse to consent to sharing their data, businesses struggle to gather sufficient data and analytics may be rendered useless. When websites are unaware of the proportion of consenting users, what cohort is reflected in collected data, and if a sufficient sample is present to make accurate optimizations, it is increasingly difficult for businesses to make accurate inferences about user behavior. In addition, if these regulations are violated, there are heavy fines associated with non-compliance. In May 2018, the EU issued over 800 fines, and to date, big name companies like Amazon and Google have incurred millions of dollars in fines. It is tedious for users to read the consent agreement and give permission to a website to store their data, therefore a smaller proportion of users are consenting, leaving companies with insufficient information and a higher likelihood of fines and violations.

    There is now a new approach to online privacy law compliance that allows businesses to make the most of the data that they have in an ethical way. This measurement methodology involves collecting data anonymously without the use of cookies, and suggests that websites prompt users to provide a login or to register early in the user funnel. Both of these methods will allow for data collection in common scenarios where consent is not necessary or when it is given voluntarily under the guise of account creation with a certain business or web page. This data is vital to marketers and users alike, as it allows a company to make informed decisions about their user’s interests in the most ethical way, which is important to customers. Data in today’s world is so powerful, and it’s important to present the best tools to harness that power, lawfully.

    Data Collection in a Post-Cookie World
    Source: InfoTrust
  • Texas AG Sues Meta Over ‘Unauthorized Biometric Data’ Collection

    Texas AG Sues Meta Over ‘Unauthorized Biometric Data’ Collection

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Meta over allegations Facebook collected customers’ biometric data without their consent.

    Biometric data can refer to fingerprints, eye scans, voiceprints, face, or hand geometry. It’s increasingly being used as a way to improve security over a PIN code or standard password. Unfortunately, biometric data can also represent a major security risk of its own, especially if companies’ databases containing the data are compromised or stolen.

    According to AG Paxton, Facebook improperly collected and stored biometric data without first obtaining customer consent. Such action would be in violation of the Texas’ Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act and the Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

    “Facebook will no longer take advantage of people and their children with the intent to turn a profit at the expense of one’s safety and well-being,” Attorney General Paxton said. “This is yet another example of Big Tech’s deceitful business practices and it must stop. I will continue to fight for Texans’ privacy and security.”

    The full lawsuit can be found here.

  • Top Data and Analytics Trends For 2022

    Top Data and Analytics Trends For 2022

    Through data and analytics, businesses can uncover customer data, boost productivity, and improve project management.

    It helps in 25% faster innovation cycles, 17% improved business efficiencies, 13% more effective R&D, and 12% better product and service.

    In fact, the annual revenue from the global big data analytics market is likely to reach $68.09 billion by 2025.

    This means that data and analytics have become a central part of any business growth. Having experts, especially employees with bachelor’s in data science in the business, who can analyze and interpret data is key to any business’s continued growth and success in this cut-throat competitive market.

    The first step is to understand what is next in the world of data and analytics so that you plan ahead. Here is the list of the key trends in data and analytics for 2022:

    In-Memory Computing Will Become Popular

    In-memory computing is a way of running complex computer calculations, which require specialized systems software, entirely in computer memory i.e. RAM.

    It is becoming a major technological solution since the cost of memory has begun to decrease of late. The global market size of in-memory computing in 2020 was $11.55 billion, which is likely to reach $44.10 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of 18.4%.

    This gives room for data and analytics in large companies and SMEs. With IMC, data can be stored in RAM rather than on their hard disks across different devices allowing for real data scaling and agile performance. This includes addressing the demands for omnichannel marketing, real-time regulatory compliance, and digital transformation.

    IMC analytics helps remove inefficiencies that businesses are facing in intelligence solutions. By keeping the detailed data in the main memory, this model speeds up data crunching and meets diverse information and analytics requirements faster.

    Predictive Analytics Will Rise

    To predict future trends in business, most organizations are leveraging different features of predictive analytics.

    Many businesses are already using predictive analytics to apply Artificial Intelligence, optimize internal processes, and eliminate all bottlenecks. In fact, the predictive analytics market is expected to reach around $11 billion in annual revenue by 2022.

    It uses current and historical data to derive predictions about unknowns such as future trends and events. It uses scientific methods and techniques such as data mining, modeling, and machine learning.

    Predictive Analytics can be integrated into business processes so that analytic insights and projections are used automatically by other systems such as a BPM system or CRM system.

    Knowing what the future holds in the market is central to businesses building their brands. With predictive data analytics, most businesses are able to forecast how the future looks like for their markets. It includes leveraging on a new customer, social media, market mountains, and predictive analytics.

    AI Will Keep Evolving

    Artificial intelligence is another trend you should look out for in 2022. A scalable AI which is smarter and responsible will facilitate improved learning algorithms, enhance interpretable systems, and take the shortest time to interpret data.

    NLP, which is Natural Language Processing, is one of the best AI technologies that significantly reduce the necessity for typing or interacting with a screen as machines can comprehend human languages.

    Moreover, AI-powered devices can turn natural human languages into computer codes that can run applications and programs.

    Even AI software such as video markers and website builders leverage the latest technologies for analyzing data and suggesting the best options to the customers.

    Large organizations and SMEs will see the need to rely on AI and other related technologies in 2022. For instance, businesses have to look into how voice assisting devices, such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Home use AI to recognize and respond to voice search queries.

    Automation Will Be the Front and Center of the Data Process 

    Businesses can save time and money when they upload and handle processes via automated tools and by eliminating all the repetitive tasks in their business.

    Businesses can automate multiple and repetitive processes that involve large volumes of information and data using robotic process automation (RPA) and intelligent business process management software (iBPMS).

    Augmented Analytics Will Spur Major Developments

    In 2022 and beyond, augmented analytics will become an essential factor that pushes the growth of BI platforms and growth analytics. It will also play a critical role in the advancement of embedded analytics and data science platforms.  

    The increasing demand for obtaining critical insights from customer data seems to be boosting the widespread use of augmented reality.

    Using augmented analytics in data preparation, data discovery, insight generation, and insight explanation not only helps to explore, analyze, understand and act on data but also transform, democratize and automate the use of data for all types of users.

    A number of emerging AR techniques include:

    ●  Augmented data preparation: It is used in the extraction, transfer, and load phase of data preparation. Algorithms are used to detect schemas and join profiling, and data enrichment through the automation of data transformation steps.

    ●  Automated analytics: It is also known as automated business monitoring as it enables the running of always-on analysis in the background.

    ●  Machine-assisted insights: It is used to generate visualization, calculation creation, and variance analysis through machines. It is often triggered by the action of the user asking a question.

    Data-As-A-Service (DaaS) Will Become More Popular

    In 2022, DaaS will become more popular than ever. DaaS is a cloud-based technology that enables its subscribers to easily access and use files through the internet. The pandemic challenges have made DaaS more helpful to people.

    According to Market Research Future, the DaaS market is expected to increase to $12 billion by the end of 2023.

    DaaS is expected to be a viable solution to companies already embracing data as a decision-making tool. Only a few companies have internal mechanisms that can help them to leverage the power of collected data.

    DaaS will have a broader reach in 2022 as most internet users can now access high-speed internet. DaaS is expected to change how small and large businesses access and use data in decision-making.

    Conclusion

    The digital economy relies more on data today. Businesses need reliable data for decision-making. Data is like an engine that propels businesses and industries.

    Thus, businesses should invest in data and analytics. You should adjust their strategies if you want to increase your returns. Whether it is IoT, AR, AI, or VR, knowing how these new technologies impact your businesses is fundamental to achieving growth and success.

  • France the Latest Country to Crack Down on Google Analytics

    France the Latest Country to Crack Down on Google Analytics

    France is the latest country to crack down on Google Analytics, over concerns it violates the GDPR the EU’s privacy legislation.

    In mid-January, the Austrian Data Protection Authority ruled that Google Analytics was illegal due to conflicts with the GDPR. Essentially, the GDPR prohibits countries from exporting EU citizen data to the US. Much of the concern stems from the fact that US intelligence agencies can force companies to give them access to such data, without the protections EU citizens are normally afforded.

    France has now joined Austria, according to Le Monde, via AppleInsider. The National Commission for Informatics and Liberties (CNIL) has ordered a company to stop using Google Analytics.

    “The CNIL notes that Internet users’ data [collected by Google Analytics] are transferred to the United States in violation of…GDPR,” reads the statement Le Monde gained access to. “It therefore requires the site manager to bring these processing into compliance with the GDPR, if necessary by ceasing to use the Google Analytics feature (under current conditions) or by using a tool that does not result in a transfer outside the EU.”

    The CNIL has given the site manager one month to stop using Google’s platform. This latest development does not bode well for Google. When Austria made its ruling, experts believed other countries would soon follow suit. Austria and France are likely just the first elements of what may become a wave of losses for the Google Analytics platform.

    National Commission for Informatics and Liberties (CNIL) has issued a formal statement regarding the unnamed company. “The site manager has one month to comply,” says the statement (in translation), as seen by Le Monde.

    “The CNIL notes that Internet users’ data [collected by Google Analytics] are transferred to the United States in violation of…GDPR,” continues the statement. “It therefore requires the site manager to bring these processing into compliance with the GDPR, if necessary by ceasing to use the Google Analytics feature (under current conditions) or by using a tool that does not result in a transfer outside the EU.”

  • Mozilla and Meta Team Up on Privacy-Respecting Ad Tech

    Mozilla and Meta Team Up on Privacy-Respecting Ad Tech

    Mozilla and Meta have teamed up in one of the most unlikely pairings, in an effort to create privacy-respecting ad tech.

    The advertising industry is currently caught in a dilemma between mining the information it needs to be profitable and respecting user privacy. The two have generally been mutually exclusive, with privacy losing out — at least until recently. Efforts by Apple to improve privacy and give users options to reduce how much companies can track their activity have made a significant dent in many ad companies’ business, including Meta.

    Mozilla and Meta appear to be solving one of the biggest issues in the advertising vs privacy debate, how to effectively deal with attribution, an important quantifier in helping advertisers know how effective their campaigns are.

    Mozilla’s Martin Thomson described the two companies’ solution in a blog post:

    For the last few months we have been working with a team from Meta (formerly Facebook) on a new proposal that aims to enable conversion measurement – or attribution – for advertising called Interoperable Private Attribution, or IPA.

    IPA aims to provide advertisers with the ability to perform attribution while providing strong privacy guarantees. IPA has two key privacy-preserving features. First, it uses Multi-Party Computation (MPC) to avoid allowing any single entity — websites, browser makers, or advertisers — to learn about user behavior. Mozilla has some experience with MPC systems as we’ve deployed Prio for privacy-preserving telemetry. Second, it is an aggregated system, which means that it produces results that cannot be linked to individual users. Together these features mean that IPA cannot be used to track or profile users.

    The key to IPA’s success will be whether enough companies adopt it. Having Mozilla and Meta — two organizations on the extreme opposite ends of the privacy spectrum — collaborating on it is sure to make other companies take notice.

  • LG: We Know What Users Want — More Ads On Their TVs

    LG: We Know What Users Want — More Ads On Their TVs

    In the latest example of unadulterated greed, LG is planning to serve its users even more ads on TVs they have spent hundred of dollars on.

    As we have pointed out many times in the past, it’s one thing for companies like Google or Facebook to make money selling ads to people. They are, after all, providing their services free-of-charge. When a customer spends hundreds of dollars on a piece of hardware, however, there’s a certain expectation that they will get to enjoy that product ad-free.

    Those days may be over, if LG Ad Solutions has anything to say about. Not content to charge a premium for its TVs, the company is evidently planning on bombarding its users with even more ads. Unlike traditional TV commercials, these ads are in LG’s smart TV interface, meaning there’s no way to easily avoid them when using the built-in features.

    “We’re turning the tables for advertisers, making performance not just something brands aim for, but something that is actually guaranteed,” said chief executive officer Raghu Kodige. “Whether driving sales, conversions, or customer acquisition, advertisers struggle to quantify ROAS for TV spend. We created this extensive program as the starting point in a new paradigm for TV-driven outcomes in which marketers are assured every CTV ad dollar hits the bullseye.”

    Worse yet, the company plans on greatly expanding the metrics it uses to track the effectiveness of ad campaigns.

    The conversion metrics program will begin immediately with app installs and is available globally. More conversion metrics such as tune-in, web visits, physical location visits, and more, will be available in the coming months both in the U.S. and globally. 

    There’s just one thing LG seems to have forgotten: Advertisers aren’t the ones buying their TVs, meaning advertisers should not be the company’s prime concern — its customers should be. 

    Fortunately, users still have a way to opt out, albeit at an added expense. Users who don’t want to see LG’s ads should not give the TV internet access and use a third-party device, such as an Apple TV, instead.