Set-Top Proposal Backers Slam Cable ‘Monopolists’ (Broadcasting & Cable)
Minority programmers backing the FCC’s set-top proposal were passionate about the need to “unlock the box,” which they suggested was being held shut by cable monopolists who had enlisted the handful of minority programmers with shelf space, and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), to fight the FCC initiative.
Oculus: We Don’t Share Location Data With Third Parties (Broadcasting & Cable)
Oculus says that it does not “currently” share location information with third parties or related companies, beyond “leveraging Facebook’s infrastructure”—it is a Facebook company—to deliver its services to consumers and says that privacy is a key part of the product lifecycle of its VR technology.
Bipartisan Senators Introduce Stopping Mass Hacking Act (Broadcasting & Cable)
Yet another front has opened in the tug-of-war among computer companies, Congress and the Obama Administration over cybersecurity versus privacy. Sens. Ron Wyden and Rand Paul were feeling the love from tech companies and others for introducing the Stopping Mass Hacking Act, which is targeted at law enforcement.
A Sexbot Hacked the Late David Carr’s Twitter, Underscoring Our Digital Vulnerability After Death (Ad Week)
One of the truly new things born from the social media age involves “digital death.” People who pass away leave behind Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, and their friends and families can visit such pages as if they are virtual gravesites. Though some visitors may not have grief in mind.
Stop thinking that programmatic is the future of online advertising (Recode)
Many say that programmatic reached a tipping point in 2015, because for the first time last year, programmatic transactions surpassed non-search digital ad spending. That’s an important milestone, but there’s still a big gap for marketers who want to automate the ad buying process. The customer journey rarely happens entirely online.
Google doubles down on AI (Recode- Commentary)
Google is doubling down on artificial intelligence as the next great phase of computing. And they believe Google can do it better than anyone else. While mobile devices are still immensely important to Google, this year’s I/O marked a turning point from a Google which sees search and mobile as its north stars to a new Google.
European Union Mulls 20% Content Quota for Netflix and Amazon Prime (Variety)
The European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, is mulling moves to impose a 20% European content quota on video streaming sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime. It also looks set to propose local content investment quotas for Netflix and Amazon Prime in some countries in Europe.
Trends in Mobile News Consumption (Medium)
Rapid advances in technology have left news organizations scrambling to manage how news is created, consumed and delivered. People have shifted towards accessing news first via desktops and laptops, and now through the ubiquitous smartphone.
MUNICIPAL BROADBAND (Bloomberg- Commentary)
There has been much debate over whether local governments should build their own broadband networks. While most don’t view municipal broadband as controversial in rural high-cost areas, it is a very different story when municipalities seek to overbuild in established metropolitan areas already served by multiple private providers.
THE NEW DIGITAL ECONOMY (Pew Internet)
The sharing economy and on-demand services are weaving their way into the lives of (some) Americans, raising difficult issues around jobs, regulation and the potential emergence of a new digital divide. A number of new commercial online services have emerged in recent years.
Google takes right to be forgotten battle to France’s highest court (Guardian)
Google is appealing to France’s highest court over a legal ruling that could force it to censor its search results worldwide. The search firm has filed an appeal with the Conseil d’État in an attempt to overturn a ruling from the country’s data protection authority, which would greatly extend the remit of the so-called “right to be forgotten.”
Meet the Chinese Trolls Pumping Out 488 Million Fake Social Media Posts (Foreign Policy)
They are the most hated group in Chinese cyberspace. They are, to hear their ideological opponents tell it, “fiercely ignorant,” keen to “insert themselves in everything,” and preen as if they were “spokesmen for the country.” Westerners bemoan their propensity to beat the drum of nationalism.
YouTube’s Plans for Virtual Reality: A Dedicated App, Content Partnerships and 360-Degree Video Ads (Variety)
As Google is working on the future of virtual reality, YouTube is along for the ride. The Google-owned video site announced plans for its own virtual reality app Thursday, which will be available on Daydream-powered mobile VR devices once they become available later this year. But YouTube’s plans for VR don’t stop there.