YouTube cracks down on ad blockers; AI concerns to be addressed at UK AI summit; Google and Match resolve antitrust claim

by Aimee Newell Tarín on 2nd Nov 2023 in News

In today’s ExchangeWire news digest: YouTube cracks down on ad blockers; AI concerns to be addressed at UK AI summit; and Google and Match resolve antitrust claim.

YouTube cracks down on ad blockers

YouTube has confirmed the launch of a global effort to crack down on ad blockers. Back in June, the platform confirmed it was disabling videos for users with ad blockers, although at the time it was described merely as an experiment. Its efforts to combat ad blockers are meant to encourage users to allow ads or subscribe to the platform’s Premium service. The use of ad blockers violates the platform’s terms of service, maintains Christopher Lawton, YouTube’s communications manager, claiming that the ads support a diverse ecosystem of creators.

AI concerns to be addressed at UK AI summit

A two-day AI summit is being held this week in the UK at Bletchley Park, with the objective of considering the risks of AI and discussing how they could be mitigated. A principal concern is the potential risks posed by AI if not developed responsibly, although others voice different concerns such as the disappearance of jobs. These talks among world leaders, tech industry figures and AI experts aim to form an international consensus on the future of AI. On Thursday evening, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to attend a live interview with Elon Musk.

Google and Match resolve antitrust claim

Google and Match have agreed to drop all claims and counterclaims against each other, resolving the antitrust complaint endangering billions of dollars. Match is among the companies which have accused Google of monopolising its app store distribution, payment and fee policies. However, the fight is not over for Alphabet, with the giant set to face Epic in trial on 2 November.