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Google staff have been accused of exploiting a loophole to target ads at children. The workaround reportedly broke company policy but not any existing laws. According to the Financial Times, the workaround was done in partnership with Meta, which ... wanted a way to advertise Instagram on YouTube and target 13 to 17 year olds. (Source: ft.com ) Normally that would be impossible under Google's rules for targeting, which don't let advertisers specify ages under 18 when selecting who does and doesn't see an ad. Known Unknowns However, the Financial Times claims Google staff not only knew Meta wanted ... (view more)

iPhones and iPads could soon let users permanently hide parts of web pages including pop-up windows. The move has proven controversial with suggestions it could also be used as an ad-blocker. The new feature is called Distraction Control and is in ... the development beta stages (i.e. test version) of the Safari web browser in the upcoming iOS 18 update. It also appears to be on the way in Safari for Mac computers. The feature lets users tap a page menu button marked "Hide Distracting Items". That will bring up a list of elements on a web page such as pop-up windows, autoplay videos and banners ... (view more)

Some users are reporting finding it almost impossible to watch videos on YouTube while using an ad blocker. It's likely the latest attempt by YouTube to crack down, but seems to only work on specific ad blockers. Over recent months, YouTube had ... displayed a warning message to people who used an ad blocker, telling them the video would not play until they switched it off. YouTube maintains that using an ad blocker actually violates its terms of service. The company also argues that ad blocking hurts both creators and users, the logic being that without ad revenue, creators have less incentive ... (view more)

YouTube says it will completely block third-party apps that show its videos with ads removed. It's the latest move in a crackdown on ad blocking that's provoked heated debate. The company has previously attempted to stop ad blocking in web browsers ... tools such as add-ons or extensions. These crackdowns have had mixed results, with some ad blocker developer continuing to stay one step ahead in a game of cat and mouse. Now YouTube has turned its attention to third-party apps that show videos from the site. This is done perfectly legally through an API, a software tool that websites can make ... (view more)

Google has shown bogus ads for a scam website at the top of its results page according to a consumer group. The ads had somehow bypassed checks designed to make sure only legitimate businesses appear in the "sponsored" section of the results. These ... results, labeled as sponsored, appear at the top of the rankings. They come above the "organic" results which are based on Google's algorithm that takes into account factors such as the relevance of a page to the search term, the authority and expertise of the creator, and whether people who click on the result quickly return to the search results ... (view more)

Claims that YouTube deliberately slowed down computers running ad blockers turned out to be bogus. The problem was actually with the ad blockers themselves. The claims were made by users of online forums who reported significant slowdowns when ... watching YouTube while running an ad blocker. Reports varied from those saying video playback was slow to start and repeatedly stuttering to those saying the entire Chrome browser was slow to respond, even on other tabs. Deterrence Measures At first glance the claims appeared plausible. That's because last year YouTube carried out multiple experiments ... (view more)

Google has launched sets of two legal cases against scammers. The cases involve artificial intelligence tools and copyright claims, though could have wider implications for malicious online activity as a whole. The first case is against scammers who ... are trying to take advantage of interest in generative AI tools that can "create" text and images. They've made online posts and ads encouraging people to download Google's AI tool, Bard. The problem is that Bard isn't something you've downloaded, but rather an online service accessed through a website. What victims are actually downloading is ... (view more)

New Facebook and Instagram rules say political advertisers will now have to tell users if they've digitally manipulated images or video. The companies still officially ban misleading "deepfake" videos. The new rules from parent company Meta take ... effect from the start of 2024. They apply to any advertisement classed as political, electoral or covering a social issue. The rules only cover "photorealistic" images and video and "realistic sounding audio," meaning illustrations or cartoons are excluded. While Meta didn't explicitly address the timing, it's likely the changes follow concerns about ... (view more)

YouTube is trying to stop people who use ad blockers from watching its videos. It could spark a game of whack-a-mole, but it's still created a passionate debate. Although YouTube appears to have been testing the tighter policy since June, it seems ... to have significantly increased the number of users affected in recent weeks. Users report seeing a message that reads: Ad blockers violate YouTube's Terms of Service. It looks like you may be using an ad blocker. Video playback is blocked unless YouTube is allowlisted or the adblocker is disabled. Ads allow YouTube to be used by billions worldwide ... (view more)

Apple has come under fire on two fronts over changes to ads on its app store listings. Developers feel their apps are being undermined while parents have complained about promotions for gambling appearing beside child-focused apps. The changes ... affect the way users see listings when browsing for apps on an iPhone. That means any changes have a big effect because screen space is so limited. Apple has now created extra ad spaces, one that appears in the main tab of the app store and one at the bottom of the page for an individual app. The ads are all for other iPhone apps. Rival Apps Promoted ... (view more)