92% of Companies Still Not Compliant with CCPA that Ramps Up January 1st

According to a study of nearly 10,000 companies, data privacy security company CYTRIO reports the marjority of companies have still not taken proactive measures to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). CCPA and the enhanced CPRA becomes fully enforceable on January 1, 2023 and includes employees’ rights to their personal data. “Companies should

Biden Administration Takes Aim at Tech Companies over Privacy, Anti-Competitive Practices

The Biden Administration took aim at tech companies with a new Executive Order.  It urges 12 different federal agencies to aggressively regulate big business, including the FTC and Justice Department which have broad antitrust enforcement powers. “The Order includes 72 initiatives by more than a dozen federal agencies to promptly tackle some of the most

First Results: Users Overwhelmingly Opt-Out of Online Tracking

For years, many in the advertising community have maintained that consumers want targeted marketing with relevant advertising.  It appears, however, that as consumers get an increased say in how they are targeted, that idea isn’t holding up. When Apple updated its iOS operating system for iPhones and iPads, it came with an opt-in component.  That

How Much Personal Data Grocery Stores Have on You – Revealed

New research revealed the amount of information grocery stores really have on you. The study has shown that grocery stores know all about your physical attributes, what you enjoy and what your purchases say about your domestic situation.  53% of Americans participate in a loyalty program because of ease of use, allowing stores to track their purchases. So,

Which Companies Have the Most Personal Data about You?

The folks at Clario have put together a fascinating chart that breaks down which online platforms and brands collect the most data and what they know about us. I thought it was worth sharing. Facebook and Instagram top the list (no surprise). We all do it – click ‘accept’ on a cookie pop-up without reading

Big Changes Coming to Digital Ad Tracking: A Cookie-less Future?

We’re in for some big changes when it comes to tracking and advertising. While government regulators are making noise about taking action against major tech companies, the industry has not-so-quietly been making a couple of key changes that could lead to a cookie-less future. Cookies are those things websites use to track you as you

Facebook Threatens to Stop Allowing News Sharing over Pending Legislation in Australia

Facebook is publicly ramping up the battle with the Australian government over pending legislation that would force it to pay royalties for use of copyrighted news content.  It’s a battle being watched closely in both media and tech circles because the implications go farther than just what’s happening in Australia. The tech giants likely fear

Anti-Trust Hearings Against Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and Google: What’s at Stake

Nearly half of Americans now believe major tech companies should face more regulation.  That was one key finding in a new survey by the Pew Research Center. The survey was released as a House Judiciary Committee is looking into tech companies.  Specifically, they are examining anti-trust concerns.  Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple were expected to

Mobile Speed is Crucial in Today’s Mobile World

Google and Deloitte combined forces to look at mobile load times for 30 days across four verticals: Retail Luxury Travel Lead generation (such as insurance or auto sites) The results, published in a Whitepaper titled “Milliseconds make Millions,” were clear: 1. Faster sites mean more customers will reach checkout 2. Faster sites encourage people to

Bipartisan Legislation to Hold Internet Companies Accountable for Moderation Practices

SOURCE:  News Release U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet, and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), ranking member of the subcommittee, in introducing the Platform Accountability and Consumer Transparency (PACT) Act, new bipartisan legislation to update Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The PACT Act would

Advertising During Uncertain Times: 11 Research Projects Tell the Same Story

If you’re looking for hard data on what’s happened to brands that increased or decreased marketing during and after a crisis or recession, I’ve compiled the results of 11 studies into this article.  Every single one shows the same thing:  the companies that stayed the course or increased their marketing efforts grew at significant rates

Trust in News Sources: The Great Political Divide

Americans may be more polarized than ever when it comes to news about politics. While that may not be a shocker, we now have hard data to show just how it plays out and the differences between party affiliation and trust in news organizations. The research from Pew Research Center tested 30 news organizations as

NY State Data Tax: Legislation Would Tax Companies that Make Money from Consumer Data

A new bill working its way through the NY state legislatures wants to tax companies that sell or make money from the use of consumer data.  Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato wants to create a mutual fund from taxes that would pay a yearly dividend. New York State Assembly Bill A9112: Requires a five percent tax

Data Privacy: What Defines “Personal Information”

Weeks before new privacy rules go into effect, California AG is asking for significant changes to CCPA California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra has proposed revisions to the regulations implementing the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The law itself went into effect on January 1, 2020 with an enforcement deadline of July 1st. As in any piece

Video Consumption Up 33%; Local Broadcast TV Still Gets the Bulk of Viewing

Consumers spent way more time watching video in 2019 compared to previous years, according to a Parks Associates study reported in Fierce Video.  Video consumption rose by 33% in 2019 compared to 2018.  When it comes to where people watch video, TV still ranks as the #1 destination.  TV sets account for more than half

Streaming Video Services See Massive Churn in Race for Dominance

When video streaming services offer free trials, there’s a lot of interest. When the trials run out, however, the customers run away. As Christopher Palmeri reported in Bloomberg Businessweek, two-thirds of these users leave when the free trial runs out. Another 10% of all streamers ditch the service every month. The churn is massive. That’s

Content Omnivores: Video Consumer Want It All

With the increased attention focused on OTT (Over-the-top) TV and streaming services, there are some interesting trends developing. 65% of US consumers say they stream content at least once a week. Two-thirds say they stream more video online than they watch of broadcast, cable, or satellite, according to Horowitz Research’s Focus OTT & SVOD 2019

Marketers #1 Goal in 2019? Get That Email Address

“Personalized experiences are about delivering contextually relevant experiences to your prospects and customers, based on what you know about them, where they are in the purchase journey, and what they are looking to achieve. It is becoming more evident that marketers who consistently deliver personalized cross-channel experiences are seeing moderate to substantial conversion improvements.” –

Using Facebook’s Like Button on Your Website May Violate EU Laws

This could change a lot of things.  If your website has Facebook’s like button on it for content or comments, you could be liable under the European Union’s privacy rules regardless of where you do business. The EU Court of Justice handed down the ruling this week in a case involving an online retailer.  A

IAB: TV Ads Are Still the Best for Generating Awareness

When the TVB (Television Bureau of Advertising) puts out a study that says TV ads are the best marketing solution for businesses, some critics say the results are skewed because it’s a TV-focused organization. If that happens in the future, you can now point to the survey done by the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau).  They

GDPR vs CCPA: How Privacy Regulations Affect Businesses

New privacy laws on the world stage are impacting businesses that have any online presence and capture personally-identifiable data. GDPR The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has already had a significant effect on companies doing business in the EU or doing business with EU residents.  It’s affected most U.S. based companies that have any

“Belief-Driven Buyers” Are Playing a Bigger Role in Brand Trust

Why do customers trust brands? The top reasons are all about product or service quality, according to the latest edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer. It delivers good quality products or services The brand gets good ratings and reviews It charges a fair price It has always treated me and others well Farther down the