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Meta is rolling out a new broadcasting tool for WhatsApp. Channels will enable people and organizations to send messages and updates to followers that are separate from the kind of interaction between WhatsApp users. Followers will not be able to respond to the messages. Channels will not use end-to-end encryption so that they can “reach a wide audience,” said WhatsApp said in a blog post, adding that end-to-end encrypted channels may eventually be introduced in the future for groups like nonprofits or health organizations that want their communications to be more secure.

Starting in late 2023, Microsoft will no longer support virtual assistant Cortana in Windows as a standalone app, said the company in a blog post. Users were directed to Voice Access in Windows 1; the new AI-powered Bing; and Microsoft 365 Copilot. The change only impacts Cortana in Windows.

Microsoft has reached a $20 million settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in a case alleging its Xbox Live service violated children’s privacy by collecting personal information. The settlement follows claims by the FTC that Microsoft failed to disclose to parents just how much information it got from children who used the platform, such as their real names, photos, video recordings and more. “Even when a user indicated that they were under 13, they were also asked, until late 2021, to provide additional personal information including a phone number and to agree to Microsoft’s service agreement and advertising policy,” the FTC said. “According to the complaint, from 2015-2020 Microsoft retained the data—sometimes for years—that it collected from children during the account creation process, even when a parent failed to complete the process.”

Hackers stole the personal information of half a million people during a ransomware attack on Intellihartx, which handles patient payment and collections. The cyberattack was one of more than 100 targeting vendor Fortra’s GoAnywhere file-transfer software.

Short-form video app Tiki is shutting down on June 27. The service, which has 35 million active users in India, was launched after New Delhi banned TikTok.

Also shuttering is third-party Reddit app Apollo, a victim of Reddit’s decision to start charging for use of its API. The new pricing would cost Apollo $20 million per year, according to developer Christian Selig.

TCL and Cineverse struck a new content and technology partnership that has Cineverse’s proprietary Matchpoint™ technology platform providing content services for new TCL televisions in North America. Cineverse will offer its portfolio of FAST channels to TCL users, and serve as a key demand partner with TCL by providing programmatic ad and direct ad sales expertise for the breadth of content provided by Company.

Twitter counted $88 million in US ad revenue from April 1 to the first week in May, 59% below the same period in 2022, according to a NY Times report. An internal document cited by the Times says the company projects at least a 56% drop every week in June.

Spotify is cutting 2% of its workforce, or about 200 jobs. “We are expanding our partnership efforts with leading podcasters from across the globe with a tailored approach optimized for each show and creator,” said Sahar Elhabashi, VP, Head of Podcast Business, in a blog post. “This fundamental pivot from a more uniform proposition will allow us to support the creator community better. However, doing so requires adapting.” Spotify is combining Parcast and Gimlet into Spotify Studios, which will continue to produce original series.

Apple unveiled Vision Pro, a mixed-reality wearable computer that will be available early next year. At its annual software conference, CEO Tim Cook showed the device in a demo video. “It’s the first product you look through, and not at,” said Cook. “You can see, hear, and act with digital content just like it’s in your physical space. You’re no longer limited by a display.” Price tag: $3499.

Just a matter of time: The first Snoopy face for Apple Watch is coming with watchOS 10, available to Apple Watch users this fall. The watch face features Snoopy, Woodstock, and themes based on the Peanuts comic strip. More than 140 Peanuts animations have been created for the watch face by WildBrain Studios in partnership with Charles Schulz Creative Associates and the Apple design team. The characters interact and play with the watch hands, react to the weather conditions in the area, and get active when the user does a workout.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM PREMION

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ADVERTISING

Microsoft is expanding Microsoft Store Ads to over 150 regions worldwide, and offering new features to simplify the advertising process and expand reach. In addition to an enhanced onboarding experience, advertisers will have access to Premium Search Ads, providing visual and prominent ad placement to highlight apps for download, and can trigger their ads on Bing’s Search Engine Results Page.

All ads served through Microsoft Advertising will come from verified advertisers starting August 1. The Advertiser Identity Verification program was first announced in June 2022. “We want our customers to have choice and control through transparency, so in addition to making our network safer, one of the primary goals of AIV is to increase visibility to those who interact with our ads,” wrote Sarah Ralston, Senior Service Engineering Manager at Microsoft Advertising, and Sandeep Krishnan, Senior Program Manager, in a blog post. All ads will display the name and location of the advertiser, the business, or the individual who is funding the ad, as well as information about why they are seeing an ad, such as targeting parameters.

The Association of National Advertisers released an updated version of its media agency contract agreement – created in 2016 and last updated in 2018 – to address “key developments in the media-buying industry over the past five years.” Changes include a clause requiring an agency to obtain an advertiser’s consent before utilizing any artificial intelligence applications in the delivery of its services, and clarifications on compliance audits and performance audit, non-transparent services, and ESG and DEI. “For most companies, advertising spending is their second or third largest expense after employees and real estate costs,” said ANA CEO Bob Liodice. “An advertiser’s contract with its media agency must be detailed and precise given the amount of media flowing through the agency and the complexity of the media ecosystem. This revised and updated template will help advertisers achieve that goal.”

IAB Tech Lab introduced the Sustainability Playbook, aimed at promoting sustainable media best practices in programmatic advertising. “The media is currently at a crucial juncture in our collective efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and embrace sustainable practices,” said Hillary Slattery, Director, Programmatic Product Management, IAB Tech Lab. “Our aim with the introduction of the Sustainability Playbook is to provide a simplified checklist for both buyers and sellers to implement the suggested recommendations, fostering a greener programmatic ecosystem.” Among the recommendations for the sell-side are limiting multi-hop resellers and cookie syncs, implementing a unique, persistent identifier for an ad unit on a page like Global Placement ID (gpid), and using preferred paths. Buyers are encouraged to reduce the level of bidding on duplicative requests using gpid, limit purchase of multi-hop impressions, support pod bidding, leverage interoperable IDs where possible, and more.

All together now: IAB Tech Lab also announced the creation of its Advanced TV Commit GROUP, formed to drive interoperability and standardization across the entire TV ecosystem. Inaugural members include Extreme Reach; Paramount; EW Scripps; NBCUniversal; GroupM; VAB; Warner Bros. Discovery; Xperi; Publica and Nielsen. “What distinguishes the Advanced TV Commit Group from other initiatives is its comprehensive and collaborative approach to addressable TV advertising,” said Anthony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab. “The Advanced TV Commit Group aims to partner with various initiatives across the industry, bringing together all stakeholders to establish a portfolio of solutions.”

Arago (formerly the Mediakeys Platform) and Broadsign today announced a technology partnership that brings the DOOH inventory available via the Broadsign supply-side-platform) to Arago’s omnichannel demand-side-platform, making programmatic digital-out-of-home purchases accessible for the first time on the Arago platform. “Delivering more value and new opportunities, this integration enables our clients to maximize local omnichannel campaigns through streamlined global DOOH inventory purchasing,” said Paul Cahierre, CEO, Arago.

Media buying platform Infillion announced a partnership with Innovid to bring simplified creative workflow and expanded publisher reach for Infillion’s CTV ad technology. CTV publishers that utilize Innovid’s software development kit will have access to the choice-based, interactive streaming ads that Infillion pioneered without needing an additional technology integration. With Infillion’s TrueX value-exchange ad experiences, consumers get shorter ad breaks, advertisers get exclusive guaranteed attention, and publishers get higher revenue per commercial break.

Datonics and adtech platform Equativ have partnered to provide marketers with greater ability to reach desired audiences across CTV, online video and display. The partnership enables Datonics data, including programmatic and CTV audiences as well as custom segments, to be activated by users of Equativ’s buy-side platform Equativ Buyer Connect. The data covers North America.

Streaming technology company Brightcove has introduced Ad Insights, a solution that leverages advanced machine learning models and proprietary metrics to provide customers with detailed analytics and insights that portray viewer tolerance for ads, enabling them to optimize their ad load without disrupting the audience experience and retention. By receiving a complete picture of their ad performance, customers can make informed ad frequency and duration decisions based on first-party data integrated across all Brightcove-powered experiences to maximize revenue while upholding an engaging viewer experience.

STREAMING

Nielsen announced the launch of its Local Streaming Insights Quarterly Solution, providing local market metrics on TV app usage for over 20 major streaming apps. The quarterly reports are available for the top 56 local markets and include insights on subscription streaming services, ad-supported streaming services, and MVPD and vMVPD apps. “We are delighted to provide a new and impactful solution to support our clients’ understanding of the rapidly evolving viewing landscape,” said Catherine Herkovic, EVP and Managing Director, Nielsen Local. “We are committed to working alongside our clients to help them deliver on their business objectives and access valuable local audiences at a deeper level.”

Future Today has a new partnership with IRIS.TV. Using the IRIS_ID as a signal, Future Today allows advertisers to use their preferred brand suitability and contextual data partners to target its inventory. These data partners use machine learning, including computer vision and natural language processing, to analyze video frame-by-frame and assign segments from standard contextual taxonomies such as IAB, sentiment, emotion, object recognition, celebrities, logos, brand safety, etc., and GARM brand suitability. IRIS-enabled data partners include GumGum, Oracle Advertising, Pixability, Reticle, Captify, Kerv, 4D, PreciseTV, Silverpush, Illuma, and others.

Streaming platform Twitch caused a kerfuffle last week with the release of its new community guidelines, which restrict the use of burned-in video and audio ads as well as burned-in display ads. Burned-in ads and display copy are a primary source of passive revenue for streamers, and Twitch walked back the announcement after backlash from creators. The Amazon-owned platform said in a statement on Twitter that its new branded content policy was “overly broad” and indicated it plans to adjust the language of the policy, though whether the plan or the wording is the problem is yet to be seen.

Cynopsis Team