YouTube’s Pause Screen Ads Roll Out to All Advertisers; FTC Denounces Social Media Giants’ Data Use; Publicis Groupe Acquires Mars United Commerce

by Aimee Newell Tarín on 23rd Sep 2024 in News

Today’s news: YouTube’s Pause Screen Ads Roll Out to All Advertisers; FTC Denounces Social Media Giants’ Data Use; Publicis Groupe Acquires Mars United Commerce

More than a year after YouTube revealed it was testing ads which play when a user pauses a video, the streamer has announced the feature will be rolling out for all advertisers. This follows a successful testing period which saw strong results from both advertisers and viewers. The video giant claims that this new ad format will be less disruptive to the user experience – however, it has not indicated that regular ads will be shown less frequently.

Elsewhere in the social arena, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a report denouncing the way in which social media platforms collect and profit from user data. The investigation examined Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Reddit, SnapChat, TikTok, X, Twitch, and YouTube. The FTC called their practices out as being a “vast surveillance” programme, which can “endanger people’s privacy, threaten their freedoms, and expose them to a host of harms, from identity theft to stalking”. Four years ago, the FTC had ordered the social media companies in question to provide information regarding their data collection policies. Now, the new report highlights their failures to protect users (children and teens in particular). The FTC stated that the current state of affairs is “unacceptable”, calling on Congress to pass comprehensive privacy legislation to increase regulation. While social media platforms are obliged to comply with stricter data collection policies within regions such as Europe, most do not apply these to American users.

Looking over to the agency world, Publicis Groupe has announced its acquisition of commerce marketing company, Mars United Commerce. The acquisition will allow Publicis to expand its capabilities and commerce offerings for clients by gaining access to Mars’ technology and business offerings. Publicis’ support will also allow Mars to bring new opportunities to existing clients, as well as reaching new clients worldwide.