from the don't-worry-your-data-have-been-'anonymized' dept.
The European Commission has approved a joint venture to create a new digital advertising platform and challenge current Big Tech dominance.
The new venture is being organised by Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone, which claim to be working on a "privacy-by-design" platform that requires opt-in consent by the consumer to activate brand advertising.
[...] Orange said the four telecoms providers will have an equal stake in the new joint venture company, which will be based in Belgium and run by independent management. The platform is based on a project first launched by Vodafone to create a digital advertising service for Europe.
The platform creates a digital token for the user, which lets brands and publishers recognise users on websites in a near-anonymous state. The companies believe this will allow advertisers to group users and tailor content to them, while retaining privacy control for the user.
The move appears to be aimed at the current control Big Tech companies have over the digital advertising market, based on a statement released by Orange.
"The platform is specifically designed to offer consumers a step change in the control, transparency and protection of their data, which is currently collected, distributed and stored at scale by major, non-European players," the statement said.
The commission conducted an investigation and said the joint venture will raise "no competition concerns" in the EEA.
The European Commission noted that there would still be alternative options available and that the joint venture will not restrict rival providers of digital identification services.
(Score: 4, Touché) by Snospar on Wednesday February 15, @02:26PM (1 child)
What exactly do they mean by "near-anonymous"? Some nebulous term where they define what they mean by "near". Reminds of the bullshit sales-people talk when they come out with phrases like "almost unique"!
Again, no thanks advertising - I'll continue to block you.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Freeman on Wednesday February 15, @02:50PM
"near-anonymous" is like "nearly hit the target". Sure, that may be good enough for horseshoes, hand grenades, and bigger explosives. That doesn't mean that the end result is what you want, though.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 3, Disagree) by Rich on Wednesday February 15, @03:52PM (1 child)
"... near-anonymous... "
and
"...rival providers of digital identification services."
Says all. But, hey, Leigh Mc Gowran, editor of "siliconrepublic": Parroting marketing bullshit, as in "The telecoms providers said", isn't what journalism is about. No pity for you when you get replaced with AI, it would be no loss.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday February 16, @02:37PM
At least with a human in the seat, you have the potential for rebelling against the masters or whatever. AI takes a lot fewer bad decisions to be made for the same or worse results.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 15, @08:41PM
Evidently telco monopolies over internet service is okay. We should be demanding a dumb pipe