Google removed 1.7bn ‘bad as’ in 2016 (including fake news)
Google took down 1.7bn bad ads last year, more than double the number it took down in 2015, according to its Bad Ads Report.
Regulation
Rise of the bots: Huge networks of fake accounts found on Twitter
Massive collections of fake accounts are lying dormant on Twitter, possibly used to spread spam or suspicious links, according to new research.
Yahoo sale to Verizon “delayed due to security breaches”
Yahoo’s $4.8bn (£3.8bn) deal to sell its core business to telco Verizon is now not expected to be completed until the second quarter of 2017, following the revelation of two major security breaches last year.
76% of marketers say ad-blocking will be good for the industry
Ad blocking is seen as a potentially good thing for the ad industry by marketers, although 38% said it could lead to a decline in online marketing, according to the results of a new survey.
Google accused of “placing own search ads first”- report
Google is using its home advantage to place ads in top position on its search results, according to a new report.
Top 20 passwords of 2016: “123456” still most popular
The most common passwords of 2016 include “123456”, “qwerty” and “111111”, according to new research.
Facebook begins filtering ‘fake news’ in Germany
Facebook is set to introduce new measures to combat fake news in Germany, as the country enters an election year.
22% of UK ad firms “have already lost business due to Brexit vote”
Nearly a quarter (22%) of UK advertising companies have said they have already lost business or contracts as a result of the vote to leave the EU, according to new research.
The year in review: 16 biggest digital trends of 2016
2016 was another big year for digital marketing, with the dawn of the chatbots, ad blocking wars and the Pokemon Go craze. This was the year that video content went live, chat apps grew up and YouTube ads earned better ROI than TV. In this special report, we’ve identified 16 of the biggest trends of … [Read more…]
‘Snooper’s Charter’ ruled illegal by EU judges
The so-called snooper’s charter will now a series of new legal challenges after the EU’s highest court ruled government’s “general and indiscriminate retention” of emails is illegal.