The Week That Was: IT and Media major news check list
Police forces in 16 countries including in Europe and the US FBI carried out one of the largest and most sophisticated law enforcement operations to date in the fight against encrypted criminal activities. FBI, in close coordination with the Australian Federal Police, developed and covertly operated an encrypted device company which grew to service more than 12 000 encrypted devices to over 300 criminal syndicates operating in more than 100 countries.
Google announced changes to the Ad Manager after having been fined Euro 220 million by French authority for abusing its advertising power. The company said it will make it easier for publishers use of data tools with other ad technologies. Google now must give publishers at least three months notice for changes that are major, requiring significant implementation effort that publishers must adopt.
Google said it has adjusted to “feedback” from the EU Commission and is opening up its Android so that other search providers can compete for free on Android-based devices in Europe. The number of search providers shown on the screen will be increased. Google has earlier forced competitors to pay for being shown on a choice screen on new Android devices in Europe.
Big tech companies’ digital assistants strong position in the EU is a competition concern for the EU Commission that has made an inquiry into voice assistants and now launched a public consultation to get more information. “We saw indications that some practices that we know too well may lead to tipping and to the emergence of gatekeepers,” said Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager.
Many of the world’s biggest websites went down for about one hour with distribution network Fastly referring to issues with its global content delivery system. News media equipped with live reporting tolls used them to keep the momentum. Critics said it shows the problem with having too many sites distributed by one company.
US lawmakers introduced five bills meant to limit the tech giants power. The bills came after several hearings and a one and a half year long investigation of the power held by Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google-owner Alphabet. To become law, the bipartisan bills have to pass several obstacles. The bills are bipartisan but there is not unanimous support for the bills.
Advertising and media company GroupM expects a 22% growth in media ad revenue in 2021. Digital advertising (excluding political advertising) will grow by 33% in 2021, building on last year’s 10% rate of expansion. At this pace of growth, digital will account for 57% of all advertising for the United States, the company says.
The Pulitzer Prize board uniquely stressed citizen reporting awarding a “special citation” to Darnella Frazier, the teenage bystander who recorded video of Floyd’s murder on her mobile phone. The New York Times and the Atlantic got awards for covid reporting while Reuters news agency and Minneapolis Star Tribune each won a prize for stories on racial problems in US police force.
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