Google Ordered to Open Play Store to Rivals; Microsoft Shutting Down Retail Media Platform; Channel 4 Testing Enhanced Advertising Marketplace

by Aimee Newell Tarín on 9th Oct 2024 in News

Today’s news: Google Ordered to Open Play Store to Rivals; Microsoft Shutting Down Retail Media Platform; Channel 4 Testing Enhanced Advertising Marketplace

Rounding off the latest legal wrangling between Epic Games and Google, a US federal judge has ordered Google to open up its Play Store to rivals in order to give Android users more options when it comes to downloading apps. Judge James Donato ruled that for the next three years – starting from next month – Google cannot prohibit the use of in-app payment methods, and must allow users to download competing third-party Android app platforms/stores. Judge Donato’s ruling also prevents Google from making payments to device makers to ensure the pre-installation of its app store, as well as banning it from sharing revenue generated through its Play Store with other app distributors. This follows a jury verdict in December which sided with Epic Games, agreeing the tech giant had stifled competition by controlling the distribution and payments of apps on Android devices. Google, however, intends to appeal the ruling: it alleges that these changes would put consumers’ privacy and security at risk and make it more difficult for developers to promote their apps.

Elsewhere in the big tech landscape, Microsoft appears to be readying the shutdown of its retail advertising platform, PromoteIQ, five years after having acquired it. According to Digiday, multiple sources say Microsoft began letting retail media publishers know it would be sunsetting the service over the summer, alongside announcing a strategic collaboration with ad tech company Criteo and pushing clients to use its services. Although Microsoft hasn’t disclosed plans for an outright closure of PromoteIQ, the understanding seems to be that the service will no longer be used. Criteo first announced its collaboration with Microsoft back in July, revealing it would be working with the tech giant to drive retail media growth.

Focusing in on the UK, Channel 4’s latest updates aim to open up streaming ad opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses and agencies. Through a partnership with The Trade Desk, Channel 4 plans to launch an enhanced private marketplace which will allow advertisers to transact directly with the broadcaster’s streaming inventory via real-time bidding. The marketplace’s Attribute tool will allow advertisers to measure how streaming advertising impacts consumer spending patterns, while the Approved Transactional feature will allow advertisers to precision-target streaming service viewers. Its launch date is yet to be announced, with the marketplace still in its beta phase. As the offering develops, the broadcaster intends to bring additional partners onto the project.