Last Week in Digital Media (06/22 - 06/26)
TikTok Business Hub, Amazon Live TV, Facebook Ad Boycott, iOS 14 Privacy, CCPA 2.0
Hello
Welcome to your Last Week in Digital Media.
GENERAL
TikTok is introducing TikTok for Business, a centralized hub to help brands understand how to both understand and advertise on the platform. The TikTok Business site, here, also comes with a call for marketers to make TikTok’s instead of ads.
Spotify is testing an interactive podcast ad format called app offers. Still very much in Alpha, the idea is you can redeem an offer within a podcast, and sponsors will also display in the podcast episode information.
Apple held its World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) during the week. The IPG Media Lab has a good summary of the event, including all the fun stuff. One of the big highlights for advertisers is that for iOS 14 Apple is doubling down on privacy. This includes requiring more specific app disclosures on what data is being collected and/or used, including the ID for Advertisers (IDFA). Also, coming to iOS 14 is a microphone and camera in-use indicator. The new version of iOS 14 comes out in September (but if you’re keen and accept the risks, learn how to beta test it here). Also worth noting that the new version of Safari for macOS will block Google analytics.
Instagram’s TikTok rival “Reels” is rolling out to additional markets. Initially only available in Brazil, the app will now be available in France and Germany.
this is just interesting given Facebook is making so much noise about unifying apps, but you can now create Instagram ads without a Facebook account.
there probably isn’t one of us who would have predicted how 2020 would play out. Still, Facebook’s New Product Experimentation team may be hoping that it will change, launching an invite-only beta iOS-only app called Forecasts. If you want to join the waitlist or see some of the initial forecasts, you can join the Forecast waitlist here. Anyone can also follow Forecasts on twitter.
Snapchat has launched an online training tool called Snap Focus. The tool is available for free and requires a Snapchat account to use.
ONLINE VIDEO
Snapchat is launching a shoppable show called The Drop. There a no details on partners, but each episode will feature a product, and when the product is made available for sale, users will be able to swipe to buy.
Amazon is considering adding live TV to Amazon Prime Video. The report is based on an Amazon job posting, which suggests Amazon is looking for developers experienced in linear TV.
Hulu announced a new ad product called GatewayGo. The format enables those watching Hulu to get more information about a product or service sent to their phone (email, push notification).
as the online streaming wars heat up, Disney UK will be shutting down Disney Kids channels and moving them to Disney+. It comes as Disney was unable to strike a carriage agreement with the primary pay-TV provider in the UK.
eCommerce
Instagram shared updated program requirements for the Instagram eCommerce program. Effective July 9, the updates include revised integrity checks and onboarding requirements.
eSPORTS
Microsoft is shutting down its Mixer offering and transitioning users to Facebook Gaming. The news comes as a surprise to many. Mixer will officially close July 22. Interestingly, the game streamers that Microsoft recruited from twitch are now free to leave.
As Microsoft exits the market, Tencent is beta testing a service called Trovo. The platform does have aggressive growth plans, announcing an 18 month US$30MM investment in a creator program.
FACEBOOK AD BOYCOTT
There’s a lot of news about the calls to pause Facebook advertising in July. I will be treating this as a separate section of the newsletter for the moment.
The NAACP and ADL, who are the primary organizers of the #StopHateForProfit movement, have an official website, as well as a detailed list of Facebook product recommendations.
The ADL has reportedly sent letters to advertisers, and they also published it as an open letter.
In a separate post, the ADL published a list of advertisers appear next to hate groups to provide evidence of their claims that Facebook is profiting from hate. The ads in question are those found in the Facebook desktop experience in the right-hand column.
Throughout the week, several US and international companies confirmed participation in the pause. Some even extending the pause globally and to all social media. If you’re after a list of all participants, the organizers are now maintaining a list of participants here.
In an online Cannes event speech, P&G Chief Brand Officer, Marc Pritchard, has indicated they are not joining the Facebook pause and are reviewing all partners against a range of criteria.
Mark Zuckerberg made part of a company town hall public (transcript here) and outlined some new policies. There were four (4) changes announced 1. Authoritative Voting Information during the Pandemic; 2. Additional Steps to Fight Voter Suppression; 3. Creating a Higher Standard for Hateful Content in Ads; 4. Labeling Newsworthy Content (for content that violates policy but remains on the platform).
#StopHateForProfit were not receptive to Zuckerberg’s update, publishing a detailed response and additional concerns.
Independent research group AVAAZ published details of their research into hate groups on Facebook. The Washington Post has a report on the AVAAZ research, which is worth a read to understand the issue.
Late Saturday, one of the movement partners, Common Sense Media, indicated plans to take the Facebook pause global.
REGULATORY
there are multiple reports that the DOJ investigation in Google continues to accelerate with a case memo being drafted to test potential legal arguments.
Germany’s top court has ruled against Facebook, specifically in the area of combining Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp data. The court ruled that Facebook will require explicit consent before merging data. The case is ongoing.
PRIVACY, TRUST, and SAFETY
in what some have described as CCPA 2.0, the CPRA (California Privacy Rights Act) has qualified to be on the November General Election Ballot. A reminder, CPRA would enable the establishment of a California Privacy Protection Agency.
On the topic of CCPA, Facebook has announced some new details on how CCPA will be supported, including the introduction of a “Limited Mode” for data use.
Mediabrands announced Media Responsibility Principles (MRP) to bridge the gap between brand safety and brand responsibility. You can read the full list of Media Responsibility Principles here.
Google is adding fact-checking to Google image search results. Of note, it uses Google’s Fact Check Explorer, which is a site worth bookmarking if you want to fact check something.
Facebook will now show a notification if people attempt to share stories that are more than 90 days old. The company also hinted that it is considering doing something similar for content about COVID-19.
Google will now let you autodelete history every 3 months. Previously your only other option was to disable history permanently. You can turn on autodelete in My Activity settings.
with brand safety in the spotlight, YouTube has published an updated site called “How YouTube Works” that summarizes and links to all of YouTube’s policies.
Google announced plans to pay for News content. The deal applies to Australia, Brazil, and Germany and comes as there is increasing regulatory pressure that could make this mandatory.
Thanks for reading and have a safe week.
Joshua