1. Google Explores Alternative To Apple’s New Anti-Tracking Feature (Bloomberg)
Apple’s new tracking restrictions on iOS sure seem to be causing problems for the Internet ad industry. Last week, Google told partners to expect a “significant impact” to ad revenue, while Facebook launched an all-out war against Apple’s tracking initiative and is reportedly considering legal action. Now, a new report from Bloomberg claims that Google, the world’s largest Internet ad company, wants to do a similar thing on Android.
2. New Numbers Show Audio And Products Drive Publisher Subscription Growth (AdWeek)
It was a big week for media companies and their subscription businesses, with the numbers showing that 2020, while not the best year for news, was amazing in terms of readers paying for it. Business-focused publishers have robust foundations to diversify and monetize audiences. Bloomberg Media saw an impeccable spike in traffic and subscriptions in January, with 80% growth in new subscribers acquired and 20% growth in traffic from December.
Magnite, an American online advertising technology firm has acquired video supply-side platform SpotX from European entertainment network RTL Group for $1.17 billion. Together, Magnite and SpotX will create the largest independent CTV and video advertising platform in the programmatic marketplace. The combined company will provide better support for sellers, create an alternative to the CTV advertising market’s largest players, and greatly improve scale and efficiency for buyers.
4. Dailyhunt & Josh Creators Raise $100 Million In Series H Funding (Business Insider)
India-based VerSe Innovation, which owns and operates local language news and video app Dailyhunt and Short video format app, Josh, has completed a $100 million+ in a Series H funding round led by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority and Glade Brook Capital Partners. The new capital raises VerSe Innovation’s value at over $1 billion, making it the first unicorn in tech for local languages, the company claims.
5. Twitter, Instagram Blocked By Myanmar (TechCrunch)
Facebook has been recently blocked by the military government in Myanmar. It is doing the same with Twitter and Instagram by ordering the telecom operators and internet service providers to block the access to these social media platforms. The new government claims that these platforms are used to spread propaganda and misinformation in the country.
6. Twitter Suspends Gateway Pundit Founder’s Account Permanently (The Hill)
The account run by founder and editor-in-chief of far-right news website Gateway Pundit, Jim Hoft, was permanently suspended by Twitter for violations of its “civic integrity policy”. The policy includes a series of punishments depending upon the frequency of violations. After five or more strikes of the violations, the account may have permanent suspension.
7. Reddit Celebrating GameStock At A Five-Second Super Bowl Spot (The Verge)
Snapchat gained 16 million daily users to hit an average of 265 million in the fourth quarter of 2020. This is an increase of 47 million, or 22%, year-over-year. Snap said Spotlight, its rival for tik-tok, grew to over 100 million monthly active users in January 2021. The company said it spent $40 million on Snapchat Spotlight, which debuted in late November, in Q4.Reddit bought a five-second Super Bowl spot to celebrate GameStock. The ad was difficult to read as it contains mostly text claiming that the company spent its “entire marketing budget on five second of airtime”. “One thing we learned from our communities last week is that underdogs can accomplish anything when they come together around a common idea,” Reddit says by way of explanation, in a clear nod to the GameStop stocks saga that was driven by posters on the r/WallStreetBets subreddit.
