ExchangeWire sums up some of the biggest stories in ad tech that have taken place in the last week, and in this week's edition: Facebook and Google face privacy clampdown; UK set for publisher collective; Twitter tops expectations, and more.

European DPAs in privacy clampdown

In the last week it emerged that separate European data protection authorities (DPA) have marked Silicon Valley's biggest names for intense scrutiny over their data privacy policies, with Facebook and Google in their line of fire.

Early in the week, it emerged that separate European DPAs had formed a task force to put Facebook's recently introduced privacy policy under the microscope, in particular taking issue with how it collects information on users' activity on third-party websites.

With Belgian, Dutch, and German regulators describing the renewed policies as 'flagrantly against European privacy laws', they have set up a joint cross-border task force that will examine the social network's policy of tracking users' when they use third-party websites and apps that use a Facebook 'like' button, a Facebook log-in or Facebook’s measurement and advertising services.

Meanwhile, the last week also saw Google alter its UK privacy policy, after the DPA there forced it to sign a formal undertaking to improve the information it provides to people about how it collects personal data.

After a two-year investigation, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) claimed the search engine was too vague when describing how it uses personal data gathered from its web services and products.

However, Google has now signed an undertaking committing to make further changes to the privacy policy to ensure it meets the requirements of the ICO.

Steve Eckersley, head of enforcement at the ICO, said: "This investigation has identified some important learning points, not only for Google, but also for all organisations operating online, particularly when they seek to combine and use data across services."

UK publishers set to introduce publisher co-op model

This week also the revelation that UK publishers were to introduce a co-op similar to France's La Place Media and Audience Square that will sell otherwise unsold inventory via an exchange.

With Europe's largest programmatic advertising market now set to see the model introduced, ExchangeWire examined the model in two-part investigation.

Both noted advertisers' causes for concern over such exchange-based trading, even in 'brand safe' environments, as well as documenting premium publishers' assurances over the (minute) possibilities of such occurrences.

Fabien Magalon, La Place Media (a France-based premium publisher exchange), managing director, noted: “We offer both context and audience [in terms of the media buy], as well as much more. For instance, through La Place Media, you can buy both a female audience, or within a ‘female environment’, where we can also guarantee high rates of viewability.”

Twitter tops expectations

Social network Twitter beat analyst expectations announcing that its latest quarterly revenues topped $4979m – up 97% year-on-year – and a sharp spike in user number increases.

In its later results call, Twitter announced that it added 13 million to 16 million users in each of the first three quarters of 2014 and was on track to hit a similar number in the current quarter.

Despite the impressive gains, the numbers amounted to a a net loss of $125m during the fourth quarter, but its stock prices rallied in the aftermath of the announcement, as financial analysts' earlier predictions had forecasts less positive results, leading to speculation that Dick Costolo, Twitter, CEO, may be replaced.

However, Twitter's share pice spiked nearly 10% in the immediate aftermath of the call, after the positive numbers, which followed an announcement earlier in the week that saw the social network agree a deal with Google allowing the search engine to index Twitter users' output, a move that would surely increase engagement with the service.

Learn together – ExchangeWire survey offers users enhanced ATS London access

ExchangeWire is poised to kick off our ATS event series for 2015, starting on 22 April in Paris, and our flagship event scheduled to take place on 14 September, this year offering enhanced insight with the launch of the European Programmatic Survey.

Our recently launched ExchangeWire Research unit is currently canvassing members, and those interested in attending the world’s oldest and largest programmatic event – ATS London – can avail of a 20% discount on ticket prices if they fill out our European Programmatic Survey 2015.

Attending the event – which remains the only major international programmatic event that remains UNSPONSORED – means you can learn from and network with some of the industry's leading minds at the forefront of the ad tech revolution.

Other ATS events will take place across the globe elsewhere in Europe, in APAC, and in the Americas during 2015, read here for further information.

DataXu updates European line-up

DataXu, this week announced that Jan Heumueller, former VP of sales, Europe, will succeed Sacha Berlik to run its European operation based in Cologne, Germany, amid a host of further personnel updates.

The update in manpower also sees Chris Le May, former director of sales for the UK, assume the position of country manager, UK & Nordics, as Martin Brown steps into the role of VP of sales for the US, from his previous position as DataXu’s VP of UK & Nordics, relocating to its New York office.

Heumueller will take over from Sacha Berlik, to focus on expanding DataXu’s business and strategic efforts across the European market.