News in brief: Microsoft Accuses Google; AI Search Engine by Meta On The Cards; IAB Europe’s Retail Media Certification Programme Begins Beta Phase 

Microsoft Accuses Google 

In the latest of battles among big tech, Microsoft has accused Google of running ‘shadow campaigns’ in order to undermine its position. In a blog post, Raima Alaily, Microsoft’s deputy general counsel, describes what Microsoft believes to be an attack on their cloud computing services, among a pattern of ‘shadowy campaigns’. Alaily claims that a new group launched by Google this week – which it has supposedly taken measures to hide its involvement in – has been “designed to discredit Microsoft with competition authorities, and policymakers and mislead the public.” The group consists of several small European cloud providers. Alaily explains that one of the companies who declined the invitation to join the organisation informed them of Google’s involvement, alleging that the group was being directed and funded by Google to undermine Microsoft’s cloud computing services in the UK and EU. 

AI Search Engine by Meta On The Cards

Elsewhere in the big tech arena, reports are circulating that Meta is working on its own AI-powered search engine. A report by The Information details that the new search engine would provide AI-generated search summaries of current events within the Meta AI chatbot. Currently, Meta’s chatbot uses Google and Microsoft Bing to construct answers to queries regarding recent news and events. According to The Information’s source, a team has been building a database of information for its chatbot for around eight months already. This closely follows Meta having announced a deal with Reuters to use the publication’s content for its chatbot. 

 IAB Europe’s Retail Media Certification Programme Begins Beta Phase 

Looking at the retail landscape, IAB Europe’s Retail Media Certification Programme begins its Beta testing phase today (30th October). The initiative aims to set a new standard in transparency, fairness and accountability in measurement practices within retail media. The programme is designed to aid retailers in validating their adherence to industry standards. The full certification process is set to launch officially in early 2025, with broader participation opportunities planned for the following year.