Sarah Kay Wiley, Director of Policy and Partnerships for Check My Ads, discusses the broken ad-tech business model, big tech's impact on local news, and Google's upcoming antitrust trial. They delve into disrupting disinformation networks, legal battles, and countering election disinformation.
Check My Ads disrupts ad tech by combating disinformation through targeted ad placement.
Google's ad tech monopoly is under scrutiny for shady practices and potential divestiture.
Deep dives
Check My Ads: Challenging the Internet Advertising Model
Check My Ads, an organization led by Sarah Kay Wiley, is reshaping the digital ad tech industry by addressing the corruption in online advertising. They target the problematic middlemen who place ads indiscriminately, leading to brand unsafe content. By leveraging their understanding of the broken ad model, they successfully disrupt the revenue of platforms like the Gateway Pundit, limiting the spread of disinformation.
Google's Ad Tech Monopoly: Department of Justice Lawsuit
The Department of Justice and multiple states are challenging Google's ad tech monopoly in a jury trial starting September. Google's control over ad space, tools, and exchanges has allowed for shady practices like secret bidding to manipulate ad prices. The lawsuit aims for Google to divest parts of its ad business, potentially altering the internet's competitive landscape and empowering media organizations.
Impact of Google's Ad Monopoly on Democracy and Local News
Google's dominance in ad revenue poses a threat to democracy, evident in campaigns like the Australian bargaining code requiring platforms to pay for news content. The extensive control exerted by tech giants like Google and Facebook over monetization, data collection, and content distribution has led to the demise of local news. Reformation in the ad tech sector could pave the way for a more competitive and transparent online environment.
Host Reed Galen is joined by Sarah Kay Wiley, the Director of Policy and Partnerships for Check My Ads, an independent watchdog non-profit that's reshaping the digital ad-tech industry by cutting disinformation off from its lifeline…which is ads. They discuss the broken business model of the ad-tech industry, why big tech has decimated the local news landscape, and the latest in Google’s upcoming antitrust trial. To keep up with the work that Sarah Kay Wiley is doing at Check My Ads, visit CheckMyAds.org. For more from Reed Galen, be sure to subscribe to “The Home Front”.
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