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  • Blog

    Time Warner's "Big Data" Cloud"--what they bring to AT&T Deal

    Most Powerful Data Co's as "Turner Broadcasting Aligns with Epsilon, Krux and Oracle to Power New Turner Data Cloud and Turner Premium Marketplace"

    Turner Broadcasting is partnering (link is external) with Epsilon, (link is external) Krux (link is external)and Oracle to enable advertisers and their agencies to connect to the Turner Data Cloud (TDC), the company’s advanced data management platform (DMP) originally announced at the company’s Upfront last month. Through these advanced third-party targeting capabilities along with Turner’s own proprietary data sources, TDC will aggregate and analyze first-and third-party data to provide advertisers, agencies and Turner itself more effective methods to reach and engage target audiences. “We are joining forces with industry-leading data and technology companies to power the Turner Premium Marketplace powered by an unrivaled central repository of data,” said Stephano Kim, Chief Data Strategist, Turner Broadcasting. “Fueling multi-screen ecosystems, Turner Premium Marketplace will enable our sales divisions to take their client conversations to a new level of insight and strategy to more effectively execute advertising campaigns across Turner’s portfolio. Brands advertising on Turner properties now have the enhanced ability to reach the most appropriate and desirable audiences across all user experiences wrapped in our premium content.” The Turner Premium Marketplace includes both digital and linear advertising campaigns across the company’s portfolio of entertainment, news, sports and kids brands. Advertisers and their agencies can choose to transact directly and programmatically depending on their unique campaign goals and business objectives. Through the Turner Data Cloud, advertisers can harness the power of their first party data in addition to third party data to effectively engage consumers and reach the right audience across Turner – a portfolio spanning television, digital and mobile platforms that reaches approximately 75% of all Americans. In addition to providing stronger advertising solutions, TDC will allow for better personalized consumer experiences across Turner’s own multiscreen brand destinations. “Turner Broadcasting is at the forefront of the evolution of content distribution,” said Andy Frawley, chief executive officer of Epsilon. “To enable the strongest possible brand experience for a consumer, it is imperative to leverage the power and value of data to drive marketing, advertising and programming to better connect the consumer’s experience and engagement. We look forward to leveraging our full suite of Big Data capabilities to support the Turner Data Cloud.” "The Turner Data Cloud is another industry-leading move by Turner, and we're proud that Krux's real-time DMP is at the center of this solution,” said Krux CEO Tom Chavez. "Through Krux, Turner is unifying people data across all channels and employing unparalleled identity management to activate highly specific audiences across linear and digital campaigns. What’s more, with Krux’s iterative learning capabilities, Turner advertisers can apply real-time campaign optimizations to drive higher conversions.” "Oracle Data Cloud (link is external) is thrilled to collaborate with Turner to help their clients understand more about consumers based on what they do, say, and buy, enabling them to personalize and measure every customer interaction in order to maximize the value of their digital marketing,” said Omar Tawakol, GM of Oracle Data Cloud. "Our relationship with Turner will allow their clients to spend confidently knowing that their ads can be reliably delivered to the right consumer across screens."
  • Center for Digital Democracy, Center for Democracy & Technology, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Federation of California, Consumers Union, Electronic Privacy Information Center, National Association of Consumer Advocates, National Consumers League, Benton Foundation, Common Sense Kids Action, and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse file this brief to highlight the potential far-reaching ramifications of this case as well as the degree to which the panel decision breaks from century-long precedent, thereby creating a sharp split among the courts of appeals.First, the panel opinion raises issues of exceptional importance. If allowed to stand, the ruling could immunize from FTC oversight a vast swath of companies that engage to some degree in a common carrier activity. This result is unprecedented, deeply disruptive to the market, and at odds with Congress’s intent. Many of the world’s largest companies offer broadband Internet or other common carriage service. These highly diverse companies could harm consumers by committing acts that are deceptive or unfair, breach privacy commitments, fail to provide reasonable security for sensitive personal data, violate any of the seventy consumer protection statutes Congress has directed the FTC to enforce, or, as in the AT&T case, deliberately omit critical information about the services a company provides – and nonetheless escape FTC enforcement. No other federal agency has authority to fill this void.Second, the panel’s decision creates a deep Circuit split by breaking from the 100-year-long understanding that the term “common carrier” is defined by activities, not status. Departing from established norms of statutory construction, the panel failed to heed settled interpretive rules requiring that exemptions from antitrust laws be construed narrowly; that remedial statutes be read broadly to effectuate their purposes; and that an agency’s interpretation of its organic statute be accorded deference. The panel’s inversion of decades of precedent creates a substantial regulatory gap and puts the Ninth Circuit directly in conflict with the D.C. and Second Circuits.---For the full argument, see the attached PDF.
  • Blog

    need-to-know 1084

    AT&T: “cross-device connections allow AT&T to understand that a single user is accessing AT&T services from multiple devices, and to synchronize content and advertising messages across those devices....”We have data coming from 35 million set-top boxes...There’s a long list of people we partner with, like Experian, Acxiom, Kantar and Polk."

    excerpt from recent interview (link is external)with Rick Welday, president of AT&T AdWorks, 13 October 2016. ...AT&T is doubling down to understand the network effect of its merged mobile carrier and pay TV footprint. And it plans to up its investment in video programming by acquiring more of the content supply chain...Cross-screen targeting is also a big imperative. AT&T just completed a series of targeting pilots to measure the impact of addressable TV ads served to 14 million AT&T-DirecTV households and 30 million associated devices….AT&T has the opportunity to be the first fully integrated carrier in the United States. You’re taking a large MVPD, pay-TV provider and a scaled mobile and broadband business and bringing them together, and that’s unique. Today, we help advertisers place an ad based on interest or demographics in any one of 14 million households regardless of what they’re watching or when, whether it’s live or on playback. ...When the DirecTV merger completed, we had 12 million addressable households. We’re now [at] nearly 14 million. For us to have grown addressable households by 2 million shows our commitment. Out of those 14 million homes, we can identify about 30 million devices that are associated and help marketers identify their target audience across them without sharing personally identifiable information. Do you have a data management platform that would help you track consumer movement? We have data coming from 35 million set-top boxes, so we have incredible first-party data capabilities. We have to have a deep technical ability and transparency with our clients about where and when the ads get placed. Clients are more interested in making sure the ad gets to their targeted audience, but we still share information about the content and day part where the ad fired. Usually the client connects their data to a safe haven, where we’d [also include] our inventory and see where there’s overlap. Then we’d render the ads. There’s a long list of people we partner with, like Experian, Acxiom, Kantar and Polk. Where do you see the most opportunity for AT&T’s mobile data subscriber set? Will it, for instance, help close the loop between location, the in-store purchase and TV viewership? Right now we’re not using data from our mobile customers, but we’re well aware of the opportunity for them to consume more video solutions and advertising within our developing video services. We’re very excited about our ability to monetize through advertising within our mobile base. How that evolves, there’s nothing further we’d forecast or announce right now. Who is AT&T’s biggest competitor right now? Is it other telcos or are you keeping an eye on platforms with a large, logged-in user base like Facebook? There’s no question Facebook and Google are competitors. There is no shortage of options for advertisers. Everybody knows a lot of money is moving to the digital space. I think, for us, when we look at wwhere the growth is, it’s clearly going toward targeted, more audience-based advertising. Even in digital, growth is not riding on the backs of display or search advertising. It’s coming from mobile video. AT&T, having acquired DirecTV with the stated purpose of being an integrated carrier that specializes and leads and innovates in mobile video, that’s a good thing for us….When the DirecTV merger completed, we had 12 million addressable households. We’re now [at] nearly 14 million. For us to have grown addressable households by 2 million shows our commitment. Out of those 14 million homes, we can identify about 30 million devices that are associated and help marketers identify their target audience across them without sharing personally identifiable information. Excerpt 2: (link is external) The cross-device implications of an AT&T/Time Warner hookup are also clear: massive reach, distribution and data. It claims to have 141.8 million wireless customers in the US and Mexico, 15.6 million internet connections and 45.5 million video connections across DirecTV and U-verse. “It’s a significant audience, especially when you bring DirecTV into the mix, being able to use that data and that deterministic linking for more relevant messaging across all of those different sources, both owned-and-operated, and being able to take that outside of O&O across multiple channels and screen,” said Adelphic CEO Michael Collins. Both AT&T and Time Warner have deterministic user data across a wide array of channels. “They have it through DirecTV, they have it through AT&T’s ISP and AT&T’s television service and they have it through Time Warner’s wide distribution,” Collins said. “That’s sticky content and a very broad audience, and it’s all done on a deterministic basis, which makes it pretty powerful. I don’t know if you’d say it’s unique, but it’s certainly highly differentiated.” AT&T is already schooled in the ways of cross-device. Its privacy policy very clearly states that it uses both Tapad and Drawbridge “to establish connections between a user’s devices and to provide behavioral targeting across devices,” noting that “cross-device connections allow AT&T to understand that a single user is accessing AT&T services from multiple devices, and to synchronize content and advertising messages across those devices.” It’s only logical that AT&T will take its cross-device program to the next level with Time Warner on board. “One would have to imagine that Time Warner and AT&T are looking to bring content and distribution together for seamless distribution and content across screens,” Collins said. “But marketing and advertising are evolving as well, and the potential combination of Time Warner and AT&T would give them knowledge, insight and the ability to deliver highly relevant advertising on behalf of advertisers.”
  • Blog

    CDD Statement on AT&T/Time Warner Deal

    "Big Data" driven merger raises threats to consumers, subscribers and competitors as mega-giant will gather our data from PCs, mobile devices and TVs

    This proposed deal raises major challenges for consumers, subscribers and competitors. It reflects the “Big Data” and digitally data-driven imperatives that are reshaping the U.S. media system. Giant broadband ISP networks, such as AT&Ts, and content providers as Time Warner, want to join together to both deliver programming and continually gather a host of information about each and every consumer. A new stranglehold is being placed on our communications landscape, as already dominant cable and telephone monopolies devour former partners or competitors (Verizon/AOL/and now Yahoo!, for example). This is all about tracking and targeting us regardless of whether we use a mobile device, PC or TV. Through the growing capability of mobile phones to follow and geo-target us everywhere we go—the supermarket, while in a car, or even on the street, these new broadband ISP/mobile/TV giants are extending their powerful digital tentacles further into our lives. While some programmers and large advertisers will benefit, the deal raises a host of consumer concerns, including about privacy. It’s no surprise that AT&T is bitterly opposed to the privacy safeguards up for a vote this coming Thursday at the FCC. They don’t want any potential new rules that empower consumers to control what they hope will be a massive influx of data they plan to monetize. Today’s announcement underscores why the FCC should pass Chairman Wheeler’s plan. Antitrust and consumer protection regulators must use a 21st Century framework that ensures that the public has a fair, diverse and equitable digital media system. Those companies that control our data--as well as the devices and applications we rely on (especially mobile)--will be formidable gatekeepers. They will be able to influence the content and communications we both receive and send. It's not to far out to see the next deal be Google/Comcast or AT&T/Time Warner/Facebook. AT&T's recent buying spree, including DirecTV (link is external), gives it a formidable cross-screen presence. As one of the handful of dominant broadband Internet Service Providers, it provides critical network connections to millions of Americans, as well as multichannel video service. It is investing to expand this empire, including video streaming (link is external) and the Internet of Things (link is external). Now it will have both Big Data and Bug Bunny, as well as HBO, CNN and a myrid of other properties. All to lure us to sit back, subscribe, view, interact with the ads on all our devices, engage with branded experiences and--yes--for this even bigger digital giant to gather and sell off our data on behalf of big brands and vested interests. statement of Jeff Chester, executive director
    Jeff Chester
  • Blog

    need-to-know 1082

    Turner Broadcasting Aligns with Epsilon, Krux and Oracle to Power New Turner Data Cloud and Turner Premium Marketplace

    Turner Broadcasting [Time Warner] (link is external) is partnering with Epsilon, Krux and Oracle to enable advertisers and their agencies to connect to the Turner Data Cloud (TDC), the company’s advanced data management platform (DMP) originally announced at the company’s Upfront last month. Through these advanced third-party targeting capabilities along with Turner’s own proprietary data sources, TDC will aggregate and analyze first-and third-party data to provide advertisers, agencies and Turner itself more effective methods to reach and engage target audiences. “We are joining forces with industry-leading data and technology companies to power the Turner Premium Marketplace powered by an unrivaled central repository of data,” said Stephano Kim, Chief Data Strategist, Turner Broadcasting. “Fueling multi-screen ecosystems, Turner Premium Marketplace will enable our sales divisions to take their client conversations to a new level of insight and strategy to more effectively execute advertising campaigns across Turner’s portfolio. Brands advertising on Turner properties now have the enhanced ability to reach the most appropriate and desirable audiences across all user experiences wrapped in our premium content.” The Turner Premium Marketplace includes both digital and linear advertising campaigns across the company’s portfolio of entertainment, news, sports and kids brands. Advertisers and their agencies can choose to transact directly and programmatically depending on their unique campaign goals and business objectives. Through the Turner Data Cloud, advertisers can harness the power of their first party data in addition to third party data to effectively engage consumers and reach the right audience across Turner – a portfolio spanning television, digital and mobile platforms that reaches approximately 75% of all Americans. In addition to providing stronger advertising solutions, TDC will allow for better personalized consumer experiences across Turner’s own multiscreen brand destinations. “Turner Broadcasting is at the forefront of the evolution of content distribution,” said Andy Frawley, chief executive officer of Epsilon. “To enable the strongest possible brand experience for a consumer, it is imperative to leverage the power and value of data to drive marketing, advertising and programming to better connect the consumer’s experience and engagement. We look forward to leveraging our full suite of Big Data capabilities to support the Turner Data Cloud.” "The Turner Data Cloud is another industry-leading move by Turner, and we're proud that Krux's real-time DMP is at the center of this solution,” said Krux CEO Tom Chavez. "Through Krux, Turner is unifying people data across all channels and employing unparalleled identity management to activate highly specific audiences across linear and digital campaigns. What’s more, with Krux’s iterative learning capabilities, Turner advertisers can apply real-time campaign optimizations to drive higher conversions.” "Oracle Data Cloud is thrilled to collaborate with Turner to help their clients understand more about consumers based on what they do, say, and buy, enabling them to personalize and measure every customer interaction in order to maximize the value of their digital marketing,” said Omar Tawakol, GM of Oracle Data Cloud. "Our relationship with Turner will allow their clients to spend confidently knowing that their ads can be reliably delivered to the right consumer across screens." About Epsilon and Alliance Data About Epsilon Epsilon is the global leader in creating connections between people and brands. An all-encompassing global marketing company, we harness the power of rich data, groundbreaking technologies, engaging creative and transformative ideas to get the results our clients require. Recognized by Ad Age as the #1 World CRM/Direct Marketing Network, #1 U.S. Digital Agency Network and #1 U.S. Agency from All Disciplines, Epsilon employs over 7,000 associates in 70 offices worldwide. Epsilon is an Alliance Data (link is external) company. For more information, visit www.epsilon.com (link is external), follow us on Twitter @ (link is external)EpsilonMktg (link is external) or call 1.800.309.0505. About Alliance Data Alliance Data (link is external)® (NYSE: ADS) is a leading global provider of data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions serving large, consumer-based industries. The Company creates and deploys customized solutions, enhancing the critical customer marketing experience; the result is measurably changing consumer behavior while driving business growth and profitability for some of today's most recognizable brands. Alliance Data helps its clients create and increase customer loyalty through solutions that engage millions of customers each day across multiple touch points using traditional, digital, mobile and emerging technologies. An S&P 500 company headquartered in Plano, Texas, Alliance Data consists of three businesses that together employ more than 15,000 associates at approximately 100 locations worldwide. Alliance Data’s Card Services (link is external) business is a leading provider of marketing-driven branded credit card programs. Epsilon (link is external)® is a leading provider of multichannel, data-driven technologies and marketing services, and also includes Conversant (link is external), the leader in personalized digital marketing. LoyaltyOne (link is external)® owns and operates the AIR MILES (link is external)® Reward Program, Canada's premier coalition loyalty program, and holds a majority interest in Netherlands-based BrandLoyalty (link is external), a global provider of tailor-made loyalty programs for grocers.
  • News

    Federal Trade Commission Must Stop “Influencer” Marketing Targeting Kids on YouTube and Other Digital Sites

    Complaint Filed Against Unfair and Deceptive Practices Used by Google, Disney’s Maker Studios, DreamWorks-Owned AwesomenessTV, and Other Companies, by Leading Advocacy Groups

    The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD), Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) and Public Citizen filed a complaint at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today asking for an investigation and enforcement action against Google (a subsidiary of Alphabet, Inc.), Disney’s Maker Studios, DreamWorks-owned AwesomenessTV, and two other companies for the unfair and deceptive practice of targeting “influencer” marketing toward children. The complaint documents how several marketing companies—Collab Creators, Wild Brain, Maker Studios, and AwesomenessTV—produce and distribute ads and other commercial material targeting children that masquerade as content. It also details how Google encourages and benefits from the production of child-directed influencer videos and distributes these ads to children on its YouTube and YouTube Kids platforms. These “influencer” ads take unfair advantage of kids, who do not have the ability to recognize that companies use social media and YouTube celebrities to pitch toys, junk food, and other products. The groups also called on the FTC to release policy guidance that makes clear that using influencers to persuade children to buy a product or urge their parents to buy a product is unfair and deceptive. “Child-directed influencer marketing is misleading to children because their developing brains do not process or understand advertisements the way adults do—especially advertisements disguised as content,” said Laura Moy, Director at the Institute for Public Representation (IPR) at Georgetown University Law Center, which represents the groups. Existing FTC regulations require that advertisements be disclosed as such—which many influencer ads fail to do—but the complaint also makes clear that better disclosure alone is not a sufficient remedy because it “would not negate the inherent deceptiveness of child-directed influencer marketing.” As a result of the FTC’s inaction, marketing companies—backed by Google and others—are increasing investments in their influencer marketing practices with harmful results. “In many cases these advertisements cause children to want unhealthy and costly products,” Moy pointed out. “As this marketing practice expands even while evidence mounts that it is harmful to children, it becomes increasingly urgent for the FTC to make clear that the practice is unfair and deceptive under the law.” According to the complaint, the FTC can reverse the trend of harmful influencer marketing directed toward children by issuing policy guidance that makes clear that existing laws serve as a safeguard to protect children from these advertisements. The complaint analyzes the influencer marketing apparatus, and the role that Google and so-called Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs) such as Disney’s Maker Studios play in orchestrating the growing use of this tactic. It highlights how these companies use “influencers” who are young or popular with kids to sell junk food, toys, and more. The complaint identifies highly-popular YouTube channels like EvanTubeHD, Baby Ariel, Meghan McCarthy, the Eh Bee Family, and Bratayley, each with millions of subscribers, and how they present videos of child stars unboxing toys, playing games, and enthusiastically sampling junk food. The complaint provides several examples of such videos, including one where Baby Ariel and her family sample Jelly Belly brand jelly beans as part of a game called “BeanBoozled.” In another video, on EvanTubeHD, the child influencer is seen unboxing a Lego Police Patrol Boat. Neither video indicates that it is an advertisement, and both videos can be found intermingled with non-sponsored content on YouTube Kids. Google facilitates, promotes, and solicits these videos because they are popular with children, which increases the company’s ad revenues. “It’s time for the FTC put a stop to child-directed influencer marketing,” explained CDD’s Executive Director Jeff Chester. “Companies like Google are knowingly taking advantage of children and their parents by unleashing a torrent of stealth digital ads disguised as programming supposedly suitable for kids. As the country’s leading consumer protection agency, the FTC has a mandate to protect the public—including our children—from practices we know are both unfair and deceptive.” “Parents have no idea that the adorable ‘friends’ their children like to watch unbox toys are really stealth marketers,” said CCFC’s Executive Director Josh Golin. “It’s time for the FTC to take swift and decisive action and protect children from a practice that has long been prohibited on children’s television.” “Corporate predators are using young Internet influencers, admired by kids, to hawk their wares to children, even to young children,” explained President of Public Citizen, Rob Weissman. “The marketers and the advertising platforms enabling and promoting this activity should be ashamed. But since they’re not, we need the FTC to act to end their outrageous practice.” CCFC and CDD have also previously filed complaints with the FTC concerning child-directed marketing practices on YouTube Kids and YouTube. Todays’ complaint can be found at: http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/sites/default/files/FTCInfluencerComplaint.pdf (link is external)
  • Blog

    Groups tell FCC: We need strong rule to protect public from ISP "Big Data" DigItal Tracking of Consumers

    Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services

    11 organizations write a letter urging Chairman Wheeler and Commissioners to vote next week to pass strong broadband privacy rules and not to yield to industry calls to weaken the current privacy proposal. --- October 20, 2016 Re: WC Docket No. 16-106, Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services Dear Chairman Wheeler and Commissioners: As you approach the date to vote on a final order in the above-referenced proceeding, American Civil Liberties Union, Benton Foundation, Center for Democracy & Technology, Center for Digital Democracy, Color Of Change, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Free Press, New America’s Open Technology Institute, and Public Knowledge urge you to take a strong stance on broadband privacy and to improve the current proposal in modest ways. In particular, the Commission must not to yield to calls from CTIA, TechFreedom, T-Mobile, AT&T, and others to severely limit the scope of covered “sensitive” information, nor otherwise weaken the privacy proposal as outlined in the fact sheet. With respect to this sensitive information determination, there are clear statutory requirements and policy rationales for setting the privacy obligations of telecommunications providers apart from and above the privacy obligations of other kinds of companies across the economy. The FCC has a mandate to protect the privacy of broadband ISP customers, and to comply with that mandate it should adopt rules that require opt-in consent to share all web-browsing history, app usage, IP addresses, and MAC addresses. Telecommunications Privacy Is Important As Title II of the Communications Act recognizes, network access providers have a heightened obligation to protect consumer privacy. The higher standard for telecommunications carriers derives from the special role of network access. Broadband access in particular is increasingly necessary for finding gainful employment, education, access to housing, and full participation in economic and civic life. It is in society’s best interest for people to use network access not only for these vitally important activities, but also as a trustworthy platform for free and unfettered First Amendment activities, including association, political speech, reading and learning, and the expression of all viewpoints, including those that are unpopular, dissenting, or held by a minority of people. Protecting the privacy, openness, and security of broadband is also of central importance to democracy and social movements. Hundreds of years ago, geography strictly limited the development and expansion of communities. Friendships, coalitions, and associations rose up and grew on a local basis—as many do today. But today, thanks to the power of the internet, not only do we build communities in cities and neighborhoods; we also build communities that leap across deserts and oceans, that cross borders and aren’t defeated by time zone shifts and language barriers. It is difficult to imagine Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, or the Arab Spring without the power of the internet. To protect and uphold the internet as this crucially important platform for both expression, association, and economic activities, we must minimize privacy concerns by ensuring that network access providers are subject to the highest privacy obligations, as the law requires. Privacy concerns can chill both adoption and use of the internet. As a 2010 FCC survey found, 57% of Internet non- adopters felt online activities made it too easy for theft of personal information. The FCC concluded in the National Broadband Plan that concerns about online privacy and security “may limit [consumers’] adoption or use of broadband.” More recently, NTIA reported that 45% of households limited their online activities because of privacy and security concerns. And in January, focus groups examining adoption challenges in Portland, Oregon universally raised privacy concerns. We want people to get connected, and we want them to use the internet without fear that the things they do and say online will be shared, sold, and exploited without their knowledge or otherwise used against them. In no event should people have to choose between protecting privacy and getting online. Telecommunications Providers Have Special Insight into Our Private Lives Broadband privacy is also of particular importance because, as gatekeepers to the network, telecommunications providers are uniquely positioned to gain insight into the private lives and communications of their customers. In the words of former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, ISPs “collect extensive information about all of their customers, including location, web browsing and app use history, when and with whom they communicate, and even the content of those communications.”10 He noted, “In short, nearly everything a consumer does online is visible to his or her ISP.” Indeed, consumers have no choice but to share intimate details about their most private activities with their ISP. Just as we have to tell the postal service who we write to, when, and how often—just as we have to tell phone companies similar details about our calls—we have to tell ISPs where we go, what we say, and what we read online so they know how to direct Internet traffic. This is of particular concern as the Internet of Things expands, and data regarding network use may reveal information about the types of connected devices consumers have in their homes, and when, how often, and how much those devices are used. Nor does the growth of encryption protect consumers’ online activities from their ISPs. Truly pervasive encryption may never happen, and even if it does, it is still a long way off. Moreover, as privacy law expert Paul Ohm recently testified before Congress: "Even for user visits to websites that deploy encryption, a BIAS provider retains a significant ability to observe. When you visit a website protected by the most widespread form of encryption in use, https or http over TLS, even though your BIAS provider cannot tell which individual page you are visiting on the website, it still can tell the domain name of the website you are communicating with, how often you return, roughly how much data you send and receive, and for how long each visit lasts." Despite ISPs downplaying the window they have into their customers’ online activities, there is no question that they are well-positioned to learn a great deal about their customers’ lives. The FCC Should Not Replicate the FTC’s Approach The heightened privacy obligations set forth by Congress in Title II of the Communications Act establish the legal basis, just as the importance of network access and unique nature of network providers’ insight into private lives establish the policy basis, for the FCC to promulgate strong privacy rules for broadband providers. In recent weeks, however, a number of industry commenters appear to have fundamentally misunderstood or underestimated the justifications for strong broadband privacy rules. Several do not seem to understand that these justifications mandate a stronger broadband privacy framework than the general privacy protections enforced by the FTC for the rest of the online ecosystem. For example, TechFreedom suggests that “the FCC follow the FTC’s substantive approach” and interpret the FCC’s various authorities under the Communications Act similarly to how the FTC has interpreted its § 5 authority. The Future of Privacy Forum asserts, “the FCC has an opportunity to make distinctions that reinforce the FTC’s standards.” But the Communications Act and the FTC Act protect privacy in different ways and for different reasons. As privacy advocates have previously written, quite obviously the FCC is not the FTC, the Communications Act is not the FTC Act, and § 222 of the Communications Act is not § 5 of the FTCA. In contrast to the heightened and specific privacy protections set forth in § 222, the FTC’s privacy approach stems from its broad consumer protection authority and its general mandate. In the FTC’s own words, “no other federal agency has the FTC’s breadth of authority to protect consumers from many unfair or deceptive practices across the economy and to obtain redress for consumer harm.” In contrast, the task before the FCC is not to set a baseline for all consumer privacy across the entire information ecosystem, but to enact strong and specific privacy protections for telecommunications customers. Therefore the idea that the FCC should “follow” or “reinforce” the FTC’s privacy approach makes no sense, and the FCC should not do so. Conclusion The below-signed organizations appreciate the hard work this Commission has done and is doing to protect consumer privacy. We urge you to vote next week to pass strong broadband privacy rules, and not to yield to industry calls to weaken the proposal. The legal and policy reasons for heightened consumer privacy protections for telecommunications customers are clear. Sincerely, American Civil Liberties Union Benton Foundation Center for Democracy & Technology Center for Digital Democracy Color Of Change Consumer Action Consumer Federation of America Electronic Frontier Foundation Free Press New America’s Open Technology Institute Public Knowledge --- See full letter attached.
    Jeff Chester
  • Blog

    Verizon's AOL’s Kline Sees Location-Based Mobile As ‘Untapped Frontier’

    “flywheel” of data-driven advertising and content under the Verizon umbrella.

    COLOGNE-To the world at large, the fate of Yahoo had been a long-running saga that seemed like it would never end. But to AOL CMO Allie Kline, the deal joining AOL and Yahoo is a big momentum boost for the “flywheel” of data-driven advertising and content under the Verizon umbrella. With Verizon (link is external) already having scooped up some of the biggest and most powerful content brands, “The potential acquisition of Yahoo that only increases our footprint on the brand side,” Kline said in an interview with Beet.TV in mid September at the annual DMEXCO (link is external) conference and exposition. Combining content capabilities with data-driven technology platforms, “you really start to think about the possibility of data-driven content, data-driven advertising and that ecosystem just continuing. We call it the flywheel,” Kline (link is external) said. AOL, which considers mobile to be “a horizontal layer underneath both content and technology,” sees vast potential in the enlarged company’s ability to have technology inform decisions on which content to show on which devices. The personalization that can happen on mobile is optimized by the “unprecedented” Verizon subscriber base, according to Kline. “So we really see that as a strong competitive advantage going forward, particularly in areas like location-based data, which we see as an untapped frontier,” said Kline. On the content side, Kline cites the reach and engagement of properties like Huffington Post and Engadget (link is external). The addition of Yahoo’s news, finance, sports and other brands will add more spin to the freewheel. Once the Yahoo merger is done, the challenge will be “To be able to figure out how to put this combination of assets together and how to tap into the network of publishers and brands that we partner with in order to achieve great scale without compromising premium content,” Klein said.
  • Cross-Device Privacy Must be Protected by FCC Proposed Rule on Broadband ISPs

    Geolocation & Cross Platform and Application Data is Sensitive information. AT&T expands cross-device targeting

    ... ISPs are engaged in cross-device tracking of its subscribers and customers which allow them to target advertising at the individual and household level. Exemplary for all ISPs, we are highlighting AT&T’s efforts in this area. AT&T is expanding its cross-device tracking in order to target individuals on their mobile device after collecting and analyzing their data using the company's internal data and analytics capabilities. In a recent interview, AT&T AdWorks President Rick Welday explained that by the end of this year AT&T will allow marketers to “advertise in 14 million addressable households, 30 million mobile devices and millions of streams within the DirecTV app.” While AT&T may claim that its cross-device tracking is done “anonymously,” that is merely a euphemism to obscure the invasion of privacy that underlies such practices. Mr. Welday explains that AT&T’s data-driven monitoring of its customers enables it to develop dossiers that reveal whether their users are a new homeowner, a new parent, or in the market for an automobile. In its trials with cross-device targeting, AT&T worked with leading Fortune 100 brands as well as promoting its own “AT&T Mobility Wireless” service. The Fortune 100 companies that AT&T worked with likely provided their own so-called first-party data to be used for such cross-device targeting. This illustrates the operational realities today for consumer profiling data, where data are no longer shared with advertisers, but rather advertisers provide such data to ad-delivery platforms (such as AT&T's) for increasingly granular targeting.[3] Linking devices (and the application history on and geolocation on of those devices) to a particular consumer via a unique identifier should be prohibited, unless the ISP has obtained affirmative, express consent (opt-in). The rule’s definition of ‘sensitive information’ must therefore reflect industry practices and include any data elements that allow for this kind of cross-device tracking. The final rule must give ISP customers control over their data, and before companies can proceed with targeted advertising, they must obtain an opt-in consent from their customers. We are particularly concerned that without such safeguards the rules would allow for a by-passing of requirements of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, by using insights gained via cross device tracking to target children without parental consent. Finally, we urge the Commission to affirm in its final rule the need for safeguards against any unauthorized attempts to re-link devices (and its app usage history and geolocation information) to associate them with one user. CDD respectfully urges the FCC to enact its proposed safeguards as soon as possible to help address the further eroding of Americans’ privacy by ISPs.
  • Blog

    need-to-know 1076

    Programmatic Applied to Kids Market; Not Truly "COPPA Friendly"

    Announcing REX: the world’s first kid-safe programmatic exchange Today (link is external)marks a major milestone in the kids digital media industry. We’re extremely pleased to announce the launch of REX, the world’s first kid-safe, COPPA-compliant programmatic exchange. COPPA and GDPR forbid profile or cookie-based targeting which has, until now, removed all programmatic options (and hence automation) from the kids industry. Part of AwesomeAds (our kid-safe ad server) REX guarantees that all automated ad requests are 100% kid-safe and COPPA/GDPR compliant. For the first time ever, REX makes it possible for advertisers across the world to programmatically reach the kids audience in a fully compliant, 100% kid-safe way. The kids space hasn’t had this capability (in any compliant sense) until now. REX genuinely shifts the entire industry forward. How does it work? At this point, our engineering team (about a third of the company) is probably the most experienced technical team in the global digital kids’ sector. This was a pretty helpful starting point. REX acts as a comprehensive kid-safety filter; it removes all non-compliant elements from each ad tag to ensure nothing can track users, before placing every creative through our ad content review process. Only then is it served through our COPPA-certified AwesomeAds platform, earning our SAFE AD watermark. Explained by our Chief Product Officer, Joshua Wohle: “REX inserts itself between the publisher and the exchange, taking the role of a firewall. It inspects the requests going out, stripping it from any PII before sending it through to the exchange. The exchange then considers the request and buyers can start bidding on the inventory. Once the winning bid is returned to the publisher, REX again intercepts it and removes any trackers that could be collecting PII before sending it on to the publisher. All of this happens in real-time, allowing for a full programmatic flow whilst ensuring compliance to all parties involved.” In order to bring this unique offering to the kids industry, we’re working alongside Rubicon, one of the biggest programmatic exchanges in the world. They provide real-time bidding and integration with all buyer systems across the globe. Combining our infrastructure in kid-safe technology and our exclusive kids inventory with their real-time bidding architecture, we are able to open up programmatic to the world’s biggest trading desks and DSPs across the kids market.
  • Blog

    CDD Welcomes FCC Chairman Wheeler’s Broadband Privacy Proposal

    Provides Key New Safeguards for ISP Customers’ Privacy

    Washington, DC: Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler announced today (link is external) that he is circulating a broadband ISP privacy proposal to the other four FCC Commissioners detailing a plan that would provide individuals with key safeguards regarding their data. The proposal is designed to help implement the FCC “Open Internet” order to ensure that ISPs respect the privacy of communications over broadband and mobile networks. The following can be attributed to Katharina Kopp, Deputy Director, Center for Digital Democracy: We laud the timely development of a rule that would require ISP customer permission before much of their personal information may be used or shared. This proposal offers consumers the much needed safeguards and desired control over their own personal information. For the first time, ISPs would have to obtain customer consent for the use of web browsing and app usage history for advertising purposes. Given the unique position of ISPs as gatekeepers to vast amounts of customer data, the FCC’s proposed broadband privacy rule is a critical step in preserving a free and open Internet into the 21st century. Because we know that ISPs’ big data analytical capabilities can turn seemingly non-sensitive information into highly private information about our lives, and because all our browsing data and the content of our communications is incredibly sensitive to begin with, we had asked the FCC to avoid drawing distinctions between “sensitive” and “non-sensitive” categories of information. Still, we believe that the proposal’s framework can work for consumer privacy provided the FCC’s definition of “sensitive” is robust and meaningful. We will work to ensure this proposal is effectively implemented and that ISP broadband consumers receive the privacy protections they deserve. The Center for Digital Democracy is a leading nonprofit organization focused on empowering and protecting the rights of the public in the digital era.
  • Blog

    Introducing Salesforce Einstein–AI for Everyone

    Artificial Intelligence Uses Big Data for 1:1 consumer targeting/Privacy & Consumer Protection?

    Apple’s Siri analyzes thousands of movie showings and surfaces recommendations for the best times and theaters based on my location within seconds. Spotify knows my music preferences and curates personalized playlists for me. Facebook instantly recognizes my friends in photos and suggests tags with nearly 98 percent accuracy (link is external). All of this is made possible by artificial intelligence (AI)–complex and highly technical solutions such as natural language processing, deep learning and machine learning that when applied to everyday actions in our personal lives make us smarter and more productive. Today, Salesforce is delivering Salesforce Einstein–artificial intelligence for everyone. For many companies, the technical expertise, infrastructure and other resources required to deliver AI solutions is too significant to leverage in their enterprise applications. But in keeping with Albert Einstein's dictum that the definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple, Salesforce Einstein is removing the complexity of AI, enabling any company to deliver smarter, personalized and more predictive customer experiences. Salesforce Einstein is a set of best-in-class platform services that bring advanced AI capabilities into the core of the Customer Success Platform, making Salesforce the world’s smartest CRM. Powered by advanced machine learning, deep learning, predictive analytics, natural language processing and smart data discovery, Einstein’s models will be automatically customized for every single customer, and it will learn, self-tune, and get smarter with every interaction and additional piece of data. Most importantly, Einstein’s intelligence will be embedded within the context of business, automatically discovering relevant insights, predicting future behavior, proactively recommending best next actions and even automating tasks. With Einstein, the world’s #1 CRM is now the world’s smartest CRM and we’re bringing intelligence to all of our clouds. But don’t take my word for it. See below to hear from our Cloud GMs about what Einstein (link is external)means for all our clouds. Sales Cloud Einstein (link is external) Service Cloud Einstein (link is external) Marketing and Analytics Cloud Einstein (link is external) Community Cloud Einstein (link is external) IoT Cloud Einstein (link is external) App Cloud Einstein (link is external) We couldn’t be more excited to finally unveil Salesforce Einstein after two years of hard work and targeted acquisitions. As we continue to build out AI for CRM, we are committed to understanding the next generation of AI technology and how it can best be applied to Salesforce. This effort will be led by Salesforce Research, a new research group focused on the future of AI, under the leadership of Dr. Richard Socher, our Chief Scientist.
  • Fourteen organizations urge FTC Chairwoman Ramirez to put a stop to WhatsApp’s plan to transfer user data to Facebook. This letter coincides with recent complaint filed, concerning the violation of commitments WhatsApp previously made to its subscribers. --- September 22, 2016 Dear Chairwoman Ramirez and FTC Commissioners: The undersigned consumer privacy organizations write in support of the complaint the Electronic Privacy Information Center (“EPIC”) and the Center for Digital Democracy (“CDD”) recently filed concerning WhatsApp’s plan to transfer user data to Facebook in violation of commitments the company previously made to subscribers. We are deeply concerned about the impact this proposed change in data practices will have on the privacy and security of WhatsApp users in the U.S. and across the world. We urge the FTC to investigate this matter and to fulfill its obligation to prevent WhatsApp and Facebook from engaging in unfair and deceptive trade practices. WhatsApp has over one billion users worldwide, and its popularity has been due in large part to its strong public commitment to privacy. The company has long made its pro-privacy commitment a key part of its brand, underscored by numerous public statements and official blog posts on the importance of confidential communications. When Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014, both companies made numerous promises to the public and to the FTC that WhatsApp’s data privacy practices would not change. Consumer privacy organizations raised concerns about the acquisition, and the Commission responded with a clear warning that the companies must continue to honor their privacy promises to WhatsApp users or risk violating Section 5 of the FTC Act. The Commission stated the companies must obtain “affirmative consent” from WhatsApp users before materially changing its practices for information it collected before the merger. The FTC stated at the time that “WhatsApp must continue to honor these promises to consumers. Further, if the acquisition is completed and WhatsApp fails to honor these promises, both companies could be in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act and, potentially, the FTC’s order against Facebook.” The FTC has previously interpreted affirmative consent to require opt-in consent, particularly in the context of material retroactive changes to privacy promises. On August 25, 2016, WhatsApp announced plans to use and transfer customer data, including users’ verified telephone numbers, to Facebook for user profiling and targeted advertising. WhatsApp previously collected phone numbers and other personal information from over one billion users with the promise that this information would not be used or disclosed for marketing purposes. WhatsApp’s reversal on this promise is a material, retroactive change that will apply to previously collected data. Contrary to FTC policy, WhatsApp does not intend to provide clear notice or obtain customers’ affirmative express consent – i.e., opt-in consent – before implementing these changes for previously collected information. Rather, these material, retroactive changes are buried in WhatsApp’s lengthy revised privacy policy and consumers have 30 days to opt-out. European authorities have already begun investigating WhatsApp’s reversal on the privacy promises it made when seeking regulatory approval of Facebook’s acquisition of the messaging service. European Union Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has indicated the EU is reconsidering its approval of WhatsApp’s 2014 merger with Facebook. Vestager stated that the companies’ promises not to merge user data was “a part of the decision [to approve the merger] so therefore we’re asking some follow-ups to find out what’s going on.” WhatsApp plans to make material, retroactive changes to its numerous privacy promises regarding the use and disclosure of user data without first obtaining users’ affirmative express consent. This is exactly what the FTC said WhatsApp and Facebook cannot do. It is a clear violation of the prohibition on unfair and deceptive trade practices the FTC is obligated to enforce under Section 5 of the FTC Act. We urge the Commission to fulfill its duty to protect consumer privacy, and to investigate and enjoin WhatsApp and Facebook’s proposed change in business practices. We appreciate your attention to this important matter. Sincerely, Bill of Rights Defense Committee & Defending Dissent Foundation Center for Digital Democracy Center for Financial Privacy and Human Rights Common Sense Kids Action Constitutional Alliance Consumer Action Consumer Federation of America Consumer Watchdog Cyber Privacy Project Demand Progress Electronic Privacy Information Center The FoolProof Foundation Patient Privacy Rights Privacy Rights Clearinghouse Privacy Rights Now Coalition Privacy Times U.S. PIRG ---
  • It’s pretty obvious advertising is reaching the next level – AI, VR, AR, and countless other acronyms, showcase advertising capabilities nobody ever thought possible. Enter The Weather Company and Watson Ads. Watson Ads doesn’t just answer a posed question, it learns and adapts answers based on a number of factors, to deliver a personal experience. ExchangeWire speak with Jeremy Steinberg (pictured below), global head of sales, The Weather Company, an IBM Business, about the practical use cases of Watson Ads in the real world. ExchangeWire: The Weather Company announced Watson Ads earlier this year, which sounds like a sci-fi level advertising capability – how does it work? Jeremy Steinberg: Watson Ads create a new engagement paradigm between brands and consumers. It cracks the code of how to reach a massive audience and have a personalised, one-to-one conversation with each consumer. To do this, Watson Ads take the core elements of Watson’s functionality by training on a particular subject matter – in this instance, our beta partners’ body of content – and sparking conversation with The Weather Channel app and weather.com visitors. When Watson asks a user to “name any dish, ingredient, or occasion”, it is prompting a natural language engagement, reasons through possible responses, and offers thoughtful, personalised suggestions that drive deeper brand engagement. Whether they’re used for food, consumer health, auto, retail brands – and beyond – Watson Ads will help marketers make the most of their moments with consumers, uncover consumer and product insights faster than ever before, and illuminate previously dark data. For consumers, it will be an intuitive experience that provides powerful utility within a trusted environment. What sort of potential use cases could there be for a marketer? Watson’s capacity to learn, develop expertise, and interact naturally make the use cases as broad as a marketer can imagine. In the CPG food category, Watson Ads can generate brand new recipes using core ingredients, and feed emerging food trends back to marketers. In the consumer health space, Watson Ads may help individuals make better choices for their common cold and flu treatments, help prevent and manage pain, and cope with allergy season – all occasions where weather plays a major role. Looking at current Watson clients, like Macy’s and The North Face, the retail application could act like a personal shopper that makes smarter and more tailored recommendations. In the auto category, in particular, the use case could span vehicle selection and customisation to learning about staying safe on the road in difficult conditions. The way we think about it when approaching our marketing partners is: “What consumer challenge has been difficult to solve, even with research and focus groups?” Since each Watson Ad instance will be a personal dialogue, Watson Ads outputs and insights can act like focus groups, getting to the core of user-brand interactions, informing product strategies, and even expanding into creative strategies. Take, for example, a consumer asking by voice interaction: “What can I make for dinner tonight?” Based on its machine learning and reasoning ability from the data is has ingested, Watson can sort through ingredient and flavor profiles to make smart recommendations based on the user’s input, like what kind of ingredients they have on hand, preferred cuisines, and the occasion hand – all surfaced via dynamics ads. Furthermore, Watson’s ability to process and create context from large amounts of unstructured data will help marketers provide consumers with meaningful, true brand and product engagement. In this example, creating recipes on the fly with ingredients consumers already have and like to use from trusted brands. But you can extend this machine learning capability to almost any category. Watson can learn about any product – whether it’s dosage information for an over-the-counter medicine, creature comforts of a new automobile on the market, the flavours available for a certain ice cream treat, and beyond. --- Full interview available at http://bit.ly/2cct57C (link is external)
  • Blog

    MediaMath Launches Unique Hyperlocal Offering in Partnership with Factual

    New product gives marketers best-in-class tool to target their mobile programmatic campaigns based on the user’s real-time location

    Global technology company, MediaMath, today announced its unique hyperlocal targeting capabilities to enable marketers to deliver high-performing mobile advertising to users based on their real-time location. Location data combined with unmatched global scale yields a powerful tool that empowers marketers to drive better performance. This solution is in partnership with Factual, a global leader in location data, and leverages their Geopulse Proximity data service, which is uniquely integrated into MediaMath’s TerminalOne Marketing Operating System™. MediaMath is the first partner to fully embed Factual’s Geopulse Proximity Designer within its platform. The union enables clients to design, build, and activate hyperlocal-targeting strategies directly within TerminalOne, yielding a seamless, end-to-end workflow. Activating these sophisticated and flexible geofences against MediaMath’s unmatched global supply scale gives advertisers another method by which to drive and maximise long-term business outcomes. Rahul Vasudev, Managing Director, Asia Pacific at MediaMath, commented, “MediaMath has always worked towards the vision of becoming a Marketing OS for our clients. This means enabling our clients to seamlessly run their display, video, mobile and social media buys through our platform. Today, mobile is the fastest growing channel for us in APAC, and so we have been releasing a slew of new mobile-specific tools, that enable our clients to invest ever increasing budgets on this channel. We are excited to include hyperlocal targeting to our list of mobile targeting and optimization offerings. An acknowledged leader in this space, Factual has an immense capability for highly accurate geo-fencing of audiences, including in APAC.” The new offering leverages Geopulse Proximity’s flexible and accurate global targeting capabilities, powered by best-in-class Global Places™ data. Factual’s Global Places data covers over 95 million business listings and points of interest across 50 countries, including APAC regions such as Australia, China, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore, and is continually updated to help ensure freshness and accuracy. This same data is used by thousands of developers and companies including some of the largest search, mapping, navigation, ride sharing, and social network platforms. --- For full article, visit http://bit.ly/2cnt1DU (link is external)
  • Blog

    AOL & Microsoft Expand Global Enterprise-Level Partnership

    AOL to Manage and Sell Microsoft's Display Advertising Inventory across MSN, Outlook.com, Xbox, Skype and Ads in Apps in Nine Countries Expanded Partnership Includes New 10-Year Search Agreement

    AOL Inc. and Microsoft (NYSE: MSFT) today announced a global, enterprise-level partnership where AOL will assume management and sales responsibility for all of Microsoft's display, mobile and video advertising inventory in nine key global markets -- the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Japan. AOL will represent inventory from across Microsoft's suite of leading online brands, including MSN Homepage and verticals, Outlook Mail, Xbox, Skype and ads in apps. AOL's success has been driven by its strength and leadership in unleashing both sides of the marketing "barbell" – premium consumer experiences driven by sophisticated programmatic platforms. The April launch of ONE by AOL, the first cross-screen programmatic advertising platform with integrated multi-touch attribution optimizing campaigns from Web to TV, positioned the company to take on additional demand and inventory pools with the goal of driving superior outcomes for publishers and advertisers. The expanded partnership with Microsoft builds on that momentum and meaningfully expands AOL's global footprint, while simplifying the ecosystem for advertisers. The arrangement will improve ad campaign efficiency and effectiveness through the delivery of scaled premium inventory across display, video and mobile, and enables marketers to deeply target premium audiences globally in key verticals, including autos, entertainment, health & fitness, lifestyle, money, news, sports, travel, and weather. The partnership includes a new 10-year global search and search advertising agreement between AOL and Microsoft that leverages Microsoft's exceptional search capabilities to deliver innovative search solutions for consumers, advertisers and partners. Both companies will enable AOL users to access a world-class search experience across all screens. AOL will transition to a Bing-powered search solution beginning January 1, 2016. --- Full article available at http://aol.it/2bWdOq1 (link is external)
  • Blog

    Stanford Economist Professor Helps Big Data Targeting Company

    Appointment signifies AppNexus' emergence as the leading independent marketplace for digital advertising

    AppNexus, the world's leading independent ad tech company, today announced the appointment of Gabriel Weintraub as Chief Economist. Currently a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Weintraub specializes in the economics and optimization of marketplaces, particularly, auction markets. He enjoys a broad mandate to drive new efficiencies in AppNexus' pricing structures and to formulate marketplace practices that strengthen the mutuality of interest between buyers and sellers on the company's unified platform. He will report directly to Catherine Williams, AppNexus' Chief Data Scientist. "Gabriel's appointment represents a milestone in our development as a technology platform," said Brian O'Kelley, CEO of AppNexus. "All digital marketplaces – whether they sell hotel rooms and flights, securities, custom artwork, or advertising – need to think critically about how to improve auction design and pricing structure, and how to strengthen the mutuality of interest between buyers and sellers. Gabriel combines unparalleled academic expertise with a practitioner's eye for execution." Weintraub earned his bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from the University of Chile and an M.A. in economics and Ph.D. in management science and engineering from Stanford University. In addition to his role at AppNexus, he holds a tenured appointment at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he teaches graduate courses in business analytics, game theory, and online markets. "Just a few years ago, it seemed novel that technology companies were hiring professionals from outside the computer science field," Williams added. "In ad tech, that often meant hiring mathematicians, social scientists or financial services professionals. Today, the most sophisticated digital platforms are powering complex marketplace transactions, and they require deep insight into the economics of pricing and auction design. In this respect, Gabriel's appointment gives AppNexus an edge over its peers." --- Full article available at http://prn.to/2crgjWy (link is external)
  • Electronic Privacy Information Center & CDD Defend Privacy Rights of WhatsApp Users

    WhatsApp plan to transfer user data to Facebook is unlawful, groups tell Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

    Washington, DC (August 29, 2016) – The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) today filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, stating that the WhatsApp plan to transfer user data to Facebook is unlawful and that the FTC is obligated to block the proposed change in business practices. The EPIC-CDD complaint responds to a recent announcement from WhatsApp that the company plans to disclose the verified telephone numbers of WhatsApp users to Facebook for user profiling and targeted advertising. “When Facebook acquired WhatsApp, WhatsApp made a commitment to its users, to the Federal Trade Commission, and to privacy authorities around the world not to disclose user data to Facebook. Now they have broken that commitment,” said Marc Rotenberg, President of EPIC. “Clearly, the Federal Trade Commission must act. The edifice of Internet privacy is built on the FTC’s authority to go after companies that break their privacy promises.” Facebook and WhatsApp are the two largest social network services in the world. According to Wikipedia, WhatsApp has over one billion users. Facebook purchased the company in February 2014 for 19.3 billion dollars. EPIC Consumer Protection Counsel Claire Gartland explained, “In 2014, the FTC said that WhatsApp had to obtain affirmative consent to transfer user data to Facebook. There was an opt-out provision but that only applied to new information. Since WhatsApp intends to transfer user telephone numbers, which is not new data, it must obtain opt-in consent.” Gartland continued, “The phone number may also be the single most valuable piece of personal data obtained by WhatsApp. WhatsApp users are required to provide a verified phone number to use the service. And the phone number provides a link to a vast amount of personal information.” “The proposed change – an opt-out for data previously obtained – is exactly what the FTC said WhatsApp could not do,” said Gartland. “The transfer is only allowed if the consent is opt-in.” “The FTC has an obligation to protect WhatsApp users. Their personal information should not be incorporated into Facebook’s sophisticated data driven marketing business,” said Katharina Kopp, Ph.D., and CDD’s Director of Policy. “Data that was collected under clear rules should not be used in violation of the privacy promises that WhatsApp made. That is a significant change that requires an opt-in, according to the terms the FTC set out. It’s not complicated. If WhatsApp wants to transfer user data to Facebook, it has to obtain the user’s affirmative consent.” In 2011, EPIC, CDD and more than a dozen consumer privacy organizations pursued a successful complaint at the FTC that led to a twenty-year consent order after Facebook changed user privacy settings in a way that made users' personal information, such as Friend lists and application usage data, more widely available to the public and to Facebook’s business partners. Former FTC Chair John Liebowitz said at the time, “Facebook is obligated to keep the promises about privacy that it makes to its hundreds of millions of users. Facebook's innovation does not have to come at the expense of consumer privacy. The FTC action will ensure it will not." When Facebook proposed to acquire WhatsApp in 2014, EPIC and CDD said the FTC must protect the privacy of WhatsApp users. The FTC said that WhatsApp must continue to honor its privacy promises to consumers. The FTC warned, “If the acquisition is completed and WhatsApp fails to honor these promises, both companies could be in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act and, potentially, the FTC's order against Facebook.” The Federal Trade Commission has previously undertaken investigations against many firms that have engaged in unfair or deceptive trade practices. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) (link is external) is a public interest research center in Washington, DC. EPIC was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging privacy and civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, freedom of expression, and democratic values in the information age. EPIC maintains one of the most popular privacy web sites in the world - epic.org (link is external) - and pursues a wide range of program activities including policy research, public education, litigation, publications, and advocacy. The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) is recognized as one of the leading consumer protection and privacy organizations in the United States. Since its founding in 2001 (and prior to that through its predecessor organization, the Center for Media Education), CDD has been at the forefront of research, public education, and advocacy protecting consumers in the digital age. REFERENCES EPIC/CDD, In the Matter of WhatsApp: Complaint, Request for Investigation, Injunction, and Other Relief (Aug. 29, 2016), https://epic.org/privacy/ftc/whatsapp/EPIC-CDD-FTC-WhatsApp-Complaint-20... (link is external) FTC, “Enforcing Privacy Promises” (2016), https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/media-resources/protecting-consumer-priv... (link is external) FTC Press Release, “FTC Notifies Facebook, WhatsApp of Privacy Obligations in Light of Proposed Acquisition” (Apr. 10, 2014), https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2014/04/ftc-notifies-face... (link is external) FTC Letter to FB and WhatsApp, "Letter From Jessica L. Rich, Director of the Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection, to Erin Egan, Chief Privacy Officer, Facebook, and to Anne Hoge, General Counsel, WhatsApp Inc.” (Apr. 10, 2014), https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2014/04/ftc-notifies-face... (link is external) FTC, "Facebook Settles FTC Charges That It Deceived Consumers By Failing To Keep Privacy Promises” (2011), https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2011/11/facebook-settles-... (link is external) FTC Consent Order with FB (2011), https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2012/08/ftc-approves-fina... (link is external) EPIC, In re WhatsApp, https://epic.org/privacy/internet/ftc/whatsapp/ (link is external) EPIC, In re Facebook, https://epic.org/privacy/inrefacebook/ (link is external) ###
  • Verizon today announced it has entered into an agreement to purchase an approximate 24.5% stake in AwesomenessTV (the "Company"). Upon completion of this transaction, the AwesomenessTV multi-platform media company will be valued at approximately $650 million. DreamWorks Animation (Nasdaq: DWA (link is external)), which acquired AwesomenessTV in 2013, will remain the Company's majority stakeholder with an approximate 51% ownership of outstanding shares, while Hearst will own the remaining 24.5%. Brian Robbins, AwesomenessTV founder and CEO, and Brett Bouttier, AwesomenessTV's president, will continue to lead the Company. In addition to its equity investment, Verizon will enter into an agreement with AwesomenessTV to create a first-of-its-kind premium short-form mobile video service featuring leading talent in front of and behind the camera. The new service will operate as a new and independent brand, and feature premium transactional content for a variety of audiences on par with the highest-end content seen on television today. The new service will launch as part of the go90 offering and Verizon will fund the initiative through a multi-year agreement with AwesomenessTV. "In addition to delivering compelling scripted and non-scripted series with high production values, AwesomenessTV has demonstrated an ability to zero in on programming that Gen Z and millennials want to watch," said Marni Walden, executive vice president and president of Product & New Business Innovation, Verizon. "The content AwesomenessTV has produced for go90 has exceeded all our expectations with shows such as Guidance and Top Five Live. That's why we want to be in the AwesomenessTV business." The new premium content service will initially be exclusive to Verizon platforms in the United States, while AwesomenessTV will retain the right to sell content in the rest of the world. In addition to the production resources, expertise and marketing know-how of the team at AwesomenessTV, the partners will draw upon the entire Hollywood community – studios, production companies, writers, directors and actors – for content creation. "This deal gives us the resources to work with the biggest talent in front of and behind the camera to create this new branded service and produce the most premium short-form content ever, made specifically for the device racking up the fastest growing viewership – the mobile phone," said AwesomenessTV's Brian Robbins. "With Verizon joining DreamWorks Animation and Hearst as part of our equity ownership group, we benefit from the strategic insight and resources of the entertainment and communications industries' most visionary companies and leaders. Our goal is to be the media company of the future, where content and distribution go hand in hand – we are now one giant step closer to that future." --- For full article, visit http://prn.to/1STY7wL (link is external)
  • Americans face growing new threats to their personal privacy as phone and cable Internet service providers (ISPs), along with leading Internet companies, expand their ability to capture details about what we do online in order to target us with data-driven personalized advertising. This report examines AT&T, Comcast, Cablevision, Charter, Cox, Verizon, Dish, Time Warner Cable, Viacom, Google, News Corp. (Fox), Turner Broadcasting (Time Warner), and Disney, focusing on some of their recent data- and video-related advertising practices. ISPs have formed partnerships with powerful data brokers (including Acxiom, Krux, and Oracle Marketing Cloud), gaining new insights into our online and offline behaviors. They are incorporating state-of-the-art “Big Data” practices, such as “programmatic advertising” that instantaneously buys and sells individual consumers—to financial marketers, fast-food companies, and health advertisers, for example—all without the consumer’s knowledge. In the process, ISPs have transformed TV and digital video into a vast new source of personal information, analyzing set-top box and streaming-video data for our viewing habits, and combining that information with sensitive online and offline data (including financial, health, racial, ethnic, and location) to compile detailed “digital dossiers” on millions of Americans. The ability of an ISP and others to identify and target us regardless of what digital device we use, moreover, has effectively erased any privacy safeguards we may have enjoyed in the past when we switched between devices. The report provides more evidence of the “digital data arms race” that is further eroding consumer privacy: AT&T, through its AdWorks division, has developed a “cross-screen system to match users’ mobile, online and television devices together based on identifiers and systems” that the company has “access to.” It operates a “consumer insights platform” that uses “Big-Data” techniques to advance AT&T’s targeted-marketing objectives. Comcast is using Rubicon’s Advertising Automation Cloud, “one of the largest cloud and Big Data computing systems in the world, [which] leverages over 50,000 algorithms and analyzes billions of data points in real time” to buy and sell individuals to marketers. Verizon, by acquiring mobile-marketing-data company Millennial Media, gained access to customer data gathered by more than 60,000 apps, including “location, social, interest, and contextual” information. Millennial has “developed more than 700 million active server-side unique user profiles, over 60 million of which link multiple mobile devices and PCs to a single specific user ... ,” with some 175 million monthly unique users in the “United States alone.” The Federal Communications Commission’s pending proceeding on privacy should examine all the ways that broadband networks operated by Internet service providers gather and use consumer information today. The review and policy proposals need to address the data-targeting relationships that ISPs have with leading digital marketing companies, including ad exchanges, data brokers, and advertisers. The FCC should enact privacy and consumer protection rules that provide individuals with rights over their data—including a set of Fair Information Practices that address the current data practices of ISPs. These companies should not be allowed to share data with affiliates or to use information for marketing their services without the informed, prior consent of the customer. Policies for privacy are essential as well for a competitive digital video market. Otherwise powerful ISPs and other gatekeepers will control the key way programming is financially supported and distributed. --- Full report attached.