1. Verizon Media’s Next-Gen Solutions Is The New Alternative To Google FLOC (AdWeek)
Verizon Media introduces alternative ways to target people when no user ID, third-party cookie or device identifier is present. Verizon is positioning its new offering, dubbed ‘Next-Gen Solutions’ as an alternative to Google’s FLoC. This would not store data, no user profiles are created and the solution works across browsers – not just on Chrome.
2. Republican Senator’s Antitrust Bill To Block Big-Tech Mergers (TechCrunch)
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) rolled out a new bill this week that would take some severe measures to halt Big Tech’s power, blocking mergers and acquisitions outright. The “Trust-Busting for the Twenty-First Century Act” would ban any acquisitions by companies with a market cap of more than $100 billion, including vertical mergers.
3. Substack Launched $1M Initiative To Foster Local News Ecosystem (VOX)
Substack announced Substack Local, a US $1,000,000 initiative to foster and develop the local news ecosystem by helping independent writers build local news publications based on the subscription model. A panel of independent judges will work to select up to 30 local news writers to participate in the program.
4. New York Post Personalizing Commerce Content Recommendations (DigiDay)
The New York Post is one of many publishers that has recently discovered that their audience values their shopping advice. It is attempting to maximize the value of that faith by personalizing which advice it displays to its readers. After its partner commerce sales increased by 94% YoY in 2020, it is exploring a customized shopping widget.
5. TikTok To Fund Publisher’s Content Production (TechCrunch)
TikTok has announced today that it will financially back the production of media publisher’s content. This new series, “VIRAL”, will feature interviews with public health experts and a live Q&A session focused on answering questions about the pandemic. This is TikTok’s first-ever funding of an episodic series from a publisher.
6. Instagram Testing New Setting To Hide Likes, Facebook To Follow (BGR)
Instagram will begin a new test around hiding Like counts on users’ posts by giving a new option where users can either choose to see the Like counts on others’ posts or not. Users will also be able to turn off Like counts on their own posts. Facebook additionally confirmed it will begin to test a similar experience on its own social network.
7. Digital Media Veteran’s Paid Subscription Media Company On Business (Axios)
Three digital media veterans, Joe Purzycki, co-founder of Luminary, Jon Kelly, a former New York Times editor and Max Tcheyan, the founder of Vanity Fair’s “The Hive”, are launching a new paid subscription media company with a multi-million dollar series funding round led by 40 North Media and TPG Growth. It focuses on the analysis of premium business news and culture.
