Other Google news is less positive. The company has not-very-subtly registered its opposition to a Canadian law requiring that it pay news outlets for using their materials by running a “test” that blocks some users’ access to Canadian news sites. Meta tried something similar in Australia last year with predictably poor results.
Not all AI news relates to ChatGPT and its generative AI cousins. Google Performance Max has been using AI for years to optimize search ad placement, claiming an 18% higher conversion rate than manual placements. They recently added campaign-level brand exclusions, expanded comparative performance testing, new video editing tools, and enhanced reporting.
While we’re beating up on Google, let’s mention this Mozilla study that found almost 80% of 40 popular Google Play Store apps showed a discrepancy between their Google Data Safety Form and actual privacy policy. The differences were serious in 40% of the apps tested. The study also criticizes Google policies including reliance on self-reporting by app developers and loopholes such as failing to require reports of sharing data with “service providers”.
CDP and marketing cloud vendor Zeta Global announced an agreement to purchase LiveIntent, which helps companies do email-based advertising. The deal will let Zeta expand its identity graph, enter the publisher monetization business, and accelerate its mobile and retail media products. Zeta will pay $77.5 million in cash and $172.5 million in common stock, with potential for additional payments based on performance.