Twitter not only changes its mind about 'inflammatory' ad, it's going to change its policies too
Twitter was accused of censorship after banning an "inflammatory" ad campaign by Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn. But just one day after implementing the ban, the company has backed down, saying the video -- which sees Blackburn talking about fighting to stop "the sale of baby body parts" -- can be promoted on Twitter.
Despite maintaining its belief that the video contains inflammatory language, Twitter now says that it is permissible within the context of the ad. Furthermore, the company says that it will "refine" its policies around the issue.
PornHub users hit by sustained, targeted malvertising campaign
Millions of PornHub users in the US, UK, Canada and Australia were targeted by a malicious advertising campaign lasting for more than a year. The malvertising attack tried to trick users of the world's most popular porn site into installing fake browser updates.
Security researchers from Proofpoint found that PornHub users had been exposed to Kovter ad fraud malware for over a year. The KovCoreG group is believed to be responsible for distributing the Kovter ad fraud malware, so if you've visited PornHub recently, it might be a good idea to check your system for signs of infection.
Fake Adblock Plus extension fools thousands of Chrome users
The proliferation of online ads means that more and more people are turning to ad blockers, and Adblock Plus remains one of the most popular. Taking advantage of this, fraudulent developers pushed a fake version of the Adblock Plus extension into the Chrome Web Store, bypassing Google's checks and filters.
In all, 37,000 people were tricked into downloading the fake version of Adblock Plus. Google has now acted and removed the fake listing from the store.
Facebook to manually review ads that target people based on 'politics, religion, ethnicity or social issues'
Advertisers are to face increased scrutiny from Facebook as the social network attempts to clamp down on questionable and controversial ads. The move comes in the wake of the revelation that 10 million Americans saw ads during the run up to the election that had been bought by Russia.
In an email to advertisers, Facebook says that any ads that target people based on "politics, religion, ethnicity or social issues" will be subject to a manual review process.
Adblock Plus introduces a new way to block ads on Facebook
Facebook -- like many companies who exist solely online -- is highly reliant on ad revenue. As such, it goes to great lengths to outwit ad-blocking tools that seek to rob it of income by giving users a more enjoyable experience.
Adblock Plus is a well-known name in this field, having already had something of a back-and-forth with the social network as Facebook took steps to block adblockers. But now Adblock Plus has a new filter available to block ads on Facebook -- and improve privacy -- and it says it is more resilient than ever.
Facebook ads can target you based on your real-world store visits
That your online activities influence the ads you see on Facebook and other websites is well known. But now Facebook has developed tools that makes it possible to track your location in the real world to determine which stores you visit and then use this information to hit you with targeted ads.
The new tools work for users who allow the Facebook app to access their location. The social network and advertisers are making profitable use of this valuable information.
Facebook overhauls rules governing political ads
As well as handing over Russian ads to Congress to allow for investigation into election interference, Facebook is also overhauling its rules for political ads. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, claims that: "We do not know how to place an advert on Facebook. We have never done this, and the Russian side has never been involved in it" -- but there is still a firm belief that Russia tried to influence the outcome of the election.
In a bid to prevent this from happening in the future, Facebook has announced a series of updates to its policies governing political advertising. Part of the changes are increases in transparency, making it possible for people to see what ads are being run by advertisers, and how they are being targeted.
Facebook to share Russian election-era ads with Congress -- but won't make them public
Facebook is to provide Congress with 3,000 advertisements taken out by Russians in the run-up to the 2016 US election. The social media giant says that it is "actively working" with the government in its investigation into Russian interference into the election.
Earlier in the month it was revealed that a group operating out of Russia had taken out $100,000 worth of advertising with a "focus on amplifying divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum." But while Facebook is willing to share the ads with Congress, they are not going to be made public.
Microsoft joins the Coalition for Better Ads
Microsoft has become the latest member of the Coalition for Better Ads (CBA). The group works with technology companies and trade organizations to help develop an ad ecosystem that works for advertisers without compromising the experience of internet users.
In taking up membership of the CBA, Microsoft is joining Google who has already worked with the organization to develop a selective ad blocker for Chrome due for release next year. Microsoft is also looking to introduce ad blocking into Edge, but the blocker would only discriminate against ads deemed unacceptable by the CBA.
Google showed ads on YouTube Red even though it's supposed to be ad-free
One of the perks -- arguably the main perk -- of paying for YouTube Red is that your subscription fee gives you an ad-free experience. At least that's the idea...
Google has now admitted that it was in fact running ads on its premium video service despite promising not to. This was not a change of heart or policy, however; the search giant is putting it down to an "underlying issue" which it is working to fix. In addressing the issue with users, though, it seems Google also failed to understand its own policies.
Privacy: With iOS 11 and Safari's cookie blocking, Apple is kicking advertisers in the teeth
Apple news has been dominated -- understandably -- by the launch of the iPhone X, iPhone 8/8Plus and Apple Watch Series 3. But there's also iOS 11 to consider. The latest version of Apple's mobile operating system hit iPhones and iPads around the world yesterday, bringing with it a raft of new features.
The release of iOS 11 includes an updated version of Safari and, importantly, a feature called Intelligent Tracking Prevention. Enabled by default, the feature blocks certain cookies from websites, making it harder for advertisers to follow users around the web. Users and privacy advocates are happy; advertisers, it must be said, are not, saying "Apple's unilateral and heavy-handed approach is bad for consumer choice and bad for the ad-supported online content and services consumers love."
Facebook updates ad targeting policies after anti-Semitic 'Jew haters' campaigns
Facebook has been forced to amend its ad targeting policies after an investigation by ProPublica found that the social network was permitting advertisers to target individuals with anti-Semitic beliefs.
The New York-based news organization found that advertisers were able to use a number of categories such as "Jew hater," "How to burn Jews," "History of 'why jews ruin the world,'" and "Hitler did nothing wrong." All of these categories were created by users -- rather than Facebook or advertisers -- as they self-reported their education and employment history with offensive terms and labels.
Facebook introduces monetization limitations and new advertiser controls
Today Facebook introduces new limitations on what sort of content can be monetized on its network. It's a move that is designed to keep the social network relatively family friendly, and Facebook also wants to address advertiser concerns about the type of content their ads appear next to.
The company is not only clamping down on what can be monetized, it is also doing more to keep advertisers happy, including using third-party verification to measure ad performance. On top of this, Facebook is seeking accreditation from the Media Rating Council for Instagram, Facebook and Audience Network.
Malvertising continues to rise as tactics change
The second quarter of 2017 saw over 18 percent more adverts containing blacklisted content -- phishing, scams, exploit kits, and malware -- than Q1 according to a new report.
The study from threat management company RiskIQ shows some seasonal changes in the pattern of traffic, with a 24.2 percent drop in exploit kits, and a 42.7 percent drop in malware. However this was more than offset by a huge 131.3 percent rise in phishing-related ads.
Facebook is overestimating its ad reach
Facebook ad metrics are facing scrutiny after it transpired the social network is overestimating the potential audience advertisers can expect to reach. A senior analyst from Pivotal Research Group points out that Facebook's Adverts Manager tool suggests demographic figures that exceed official numbers.
For example, advertisers are told that they could hit up to 41 million 18- to 24-year-olds in the US, but according to recent census data only 31 million 18- to 24-year-olds live in the US. The discrepancy is not isolated, as there are similar instances of inflated potential reach suggestions for various age groups in the US, UK and Canada.
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