Articles of the Day
Privacy Groups Ready FTC Complaint Against Facebook - Adding to the backlash against Facebook’s new advertising programs, privacy groups are preparing to file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission against the social networking site. The digital civil rights group Electronic Privacy Information Center intends to file a complaint by January about both Facebook’s new SocialAds and Beacon programs.
Networks Look to AOL’s Userplane For Tools - Seeking new ways to engage and retain viewers, TV networks are increasingly investing in online community tools and other initiatives. Several have enlisted the help of America Online’s Userplane subsidiary, which licenses ad-supported chat, instant messaging and video messaging tools.
Social Media Bubble Poised to Burst - Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble: with the “R” word looming over the greater U.S. economy, the “B” word is once again being tied to Silicon Valley. Over the past few years, private equity and Silicon Valley VC firms have poured millions into social media startups aiming for a slice of the growing online advertising pie, but some analysts fear that to avoid another bubble burst, that pie has to be big. Their concern: investors over-estimating its size.
Pros and Cons Of “Open” Verizon - Perhaps the most surprising news this week is the decision by Verizon Wireless–one of the old-guard cellular carriers–to open its network and platform to third-party handset makers and software developers. From a pessimist’s perspective, Verizon decided to do this because it doesn’t want to make open network concessions at the upcoming 700 MHz FCC auction. Opening up now means the company would be able to say “we’re already open,” even though third parties would be forced to use the telecom’s proprietary software development kit to create and run programs on its CDMA-based network.
Imagine: MySpace As Ad Network - Fox Interactive Media, News Corp.’s Internet division that oversees the social network MySpace, announced a plan to sell advertising across its online network with the ultimate goal of allowing other media companies to join. “We’re well down the path in terms of discussions with some of the other News Corp properties to do ad serving,” FIM CEO Ross Levinsohn said. “Ultimately, we’ll take the company off network and become an ad network for assets outside of the News Corporation empire.” The plan could take effect as early as the first half 2008.
A Micro-Yahoo Google Competitor In 3 Easy Steps - As a follow-up to his post about why perennial Google chaser Microsoft might have to buy Yahoo, Silicon Alley Insider’s Henry Blodget explores how such a deal might unfold–and why it would be bad for Yahoo. This is mostly because Microsoft’s online division “will always play second-fiddle to the Windows and Office monopolies,” meaning that any strategy for the combined company would deign to preserve those monopolies. This is why he says Microsoft has “failed so miserably online for the past 12 years: internal politics and competing priorities.”
