News and Analysis
Within 24 Hours, Further Signs That HUD’s Facebook Probe Could Upend Digital Ad Industry
What’s at stake in the Facebook housing discrimination probe and related investigations into Google and Twitter is whether the dissemination of online content—the news, product recommendations, advertising campaigns of all kinds, and entertainment—can and should be permitted on the basis of data collected on users’ personal characteristics and past behaviors. Should organizations, in industries as varied as entertainment, apparel, tech, and education, be permitted to use evolving technology to predict whom ads should target and thus who should see the content promoting Berkeley’s MBA program, the new housing development in Long Island City, or the hip sunglasses Warby Parker will never get me to buy? How does past human behavior and long-term inequality in various groups’ access to privileged resources shape ad targeting and the technology that automates it, and can the tech industry reach beyond those limitations to open up new futures instead of capitalizing on and reinforcing historical distinctions?
The news this week of the Trump administration’s first charges filed against a major tech company is the first step on our path to finding out.
Automated Ad Targeting Ensnares Facebook in a Discrimination Lawsuit
The lawsuit is big news not just for Facebook or for housing-related ads but for the digital advertising industry as a whole. That’s because it marks the first major federal attempt to use the resources of the law to curb ad targeting on the basis of racial discrimination. As interest in regulating broad tech spreads across the country and political spectrum, the lawsuit could prove a harbinger of harsher laws to come.
Commentary
Imagining a Local Search Pathway for Snapchat
Snapchat may be considered by many to be “the next Facebook,” but its approach to social media and interactions couldn’t be more different. From its emphasis on moments to the uneasiness the founders have with ad personalization, the company is certain to blaze a trail all its own the the local space.
Snapchat, Uber, and the Implications of Machine Learning
Machine learning and predictive analytics need to meld seamlessly with core app functionality. The technology needs to “just work,” without steep learning curves or frustrating dead ends. So I’d expect any company who experiments with machine learning for local search to start with a simple set of problems and hone the user experience.
Latest Posts
7 Ways Local Merchants Can Use Messaging Apps for Marketing
Smartphone messaging apps were used by more than 1.4 billion consumers last year, but very few of the conversations that took place were between shoppers and local merchants. Here are seven examples of ways that local merchants can start using messaging apps to improve customer service and boost customer acquisition right away.
LBMA Podcast: Proxfinity, Estimote, Carrefour and Basket
On the show: Real holograms thanks to Kino-Mo; Samsung’s TipTalk lets you talk into your finger; Down with walkie-talkies thanks to Theatro; Microsoft’s Skip means no lineups at Gerrity Supermarkets; PlaceIQ trumps that with $25M; Microsoft is acquiring InMobi; InMarket puts beacons in every RiteAid store. Our App selection is Basket from Andy Ellwood.
Street Fight Daily: UberRUSH Now Delivers Your Nordstrom Orders, Facebook’s Mobile Dominance
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… UberRUSH Now Delivers the Same Day from Nordstrom and Other Big Retail Stores (TechCrunch)… How Facebook Turned Its Greatest Weakness Into Its Greatest Strength (Forbes)… Amazon Sales Soared 22% in Holiday Quarter, but Profit Fell Short (New York Times)…
Street Fight Daily: Inside Yahoo’s Restructuring, Sharing Economy Goes Small
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Yahoo Restructuring Begins Slowly With Stealth Layoffs and ‘Invest/Maintain/Kill’ List (Recode)… Consumers and Mobile Pay: We’re Aware of It, But We Don’t See the Benefit (GeoMarketing)… Is the Future of the Sharing Economy Small-Scale? (Pacific Standard)…
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Streets Ahead: Google Chat, and Instagram Reels