A look at how companies try to reach potential customers.
Advertising
Even AI Hasn’t Helped Microsoft’s Bing Chip Away at Google’s Search Dominance
When Microsoft unveiled an AI-powered version of Bing in February 2023, the company said it could add $2 billion of revenue if the revamped search engine could pry away even a single point of market share from Google.
Study Debunks Social Media, Finds Face-To-Face Dominates Brand Conversations, Albeit Politically
For all the stock that brands and their agencies put on the value of consumer mentions in social media, it actually ranks relatively low among the modes of communication people use to express their sentiment about brands to others.
LinkNYC is a Privacy Disaster. Here's Why
From its inception, LinkNYC – the public WiFi kiosks that are run by a consortium of companies including Google subsidiary Sidewalk Labs – has always posed a threat to privacy. But after nine years of operation and a recent audit, it’s fair to say LinkNYC represents a barely mitigated privacy disaster.
T-Mobile Gets Mostly Bad News in Advertising Watchdog Decision
T-Mobile will appeal several decisions made by the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs to challenges brought by AT&T. The decisions involved “Phone Freedom” ads that appeared in television commercials, radio advertisements, and on T-Mobile’s website. The good news for T-Mobile is that NAD found at least one claim made in the “Phone Freedom” campaign to be supported. The bad news for T-Mobile is that some claims were not found to be supported.
Advertising Watchdog: It’s OK to Just Say Speed to Mean Broadband Download Speed
Charter Communications has prevailed in its appeal of a decision by the BBB National Program’s National Advertising Division (NAD) about speed claims in its broadband advertising. The appeal was upheld by the National Advertising Review Board (NARB), the appellate advertising body of BBB National Programs.
Metro by T-Mobile pitches Home Internet for $20 with ACP discount
T-Mobile’s prepaid brand Metro is conducting a regional marketing campaign in the Midwest, pitching T-Mobile’s fixed wireless access (FWA) product called Home Internet. The promotion advertises the product for a cost of $20 per month, after a $30 per month Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) discount. Typically, T-Mobile’s Home Internet costs $50 per month if the customer signs up for autopay. It costs $55 per month without autopay. But Metro by T-Mobile is focusing on the $30 discount that subscribers can obtain if they apply for ACP.
Gannett v. Google
Gannett, the largest publisher in the US, filed a federal lawsuit in US District Court for the Southern District of New York against Google for monopolization of advertising technology markets and deceptive commercial practices.
![](https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/euopean_commission_7.png?itok=DY4s9xI5)
European Commission sends Statement of Objections to Google over abusive practices in online advertising technology
The European Commission has informed Google of its preliminary view that the company breached EU antitrust rules by distorting competition in the advertising technology industry (‘adtech'). The European Commission takes issue with Google favouring its own online display advertising technology services to the detriment of competing providers of advertising technology services, advertisers and online publishers. The European Commission preliminarily finds that, since at least 2014, Google abused its dominant positions by:
Texas Lawmakers Pass Opt-Out Privacy Bill
Texas became the latest state to pass a privacy bill that aims to enable consumers to exert more control over data about themselves. Unless vetoed by Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX), the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (SB 4) will require companies to allow residents to opt out of targeted advertising—defined by the bill as serving ads to people based on their online activity over time and across nonaffiliated websites or apps. The measure also will obligate companies to honor universal opt-out tools—su
Montana Enacts Opt-Out Privacy Law
Governor Greg Gianforte (R-MT) has signed a privacy law that gives state residents new rights to wield control over data about them, including the right to reject some forms of online behavioral advertising. Senate Bill 384 provides that residents can opt out of the use of data linkable to them—including pseudonymous data, such as information stored on cookies—for targeted ads.