An update on our Privacy Sandbox commitments
For further background on this topic, please see our blog from June.
Since we announced our Privacy Sandbox commitments earlier this year, we have continued to work with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to address feedback that was raised as part of its public consultation process. We have also continued to update and seek feedback from the market and the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on our proposals.
We are determined to ensure that the Privacy Sandbox is developed in a way that works for the entire ecosystem and, as part of this process, we have now offered revised commitments, which can be found in full on the CMA’s website.
These revisions underline our commitment to ensuring that the changes we make in Chrome will apply in the same way to Google’s ad tech products as to any third party, and that the Privacy Sandbox APIs will be designed, developed and implemented with regulatory oversight and input from the CMA and the ICO. We also support the objectives set out yesterday in the ICO’s Opinion on Data protection and privacy expectations for online advertising proposals, including the importance of supporting and developing privacy-safe advertising tools that protect people’s privacy and prevent covert tracking.
The revised commitments incorporate a number of changes including:
- Monitoring and reporting. We have offered to appoint an independent Monitoring Trustee who will have the access and technical expertise needed to ensure compliance.
- Testing and consultation. We have offered the CMA more extensive testing commitments, along with a more transparent process to take market feedback on the Privacy Sandbox proposals.
- Further clarity on our use of data. We are underscoring our commitment not to use Google first-party personal data to track users for targeting and measurement of ads shown on non-Google websites. Our commitments would also restrict the use of Chrome browsing history and Analytics data to do this on Google or non-Google websites.
If the CMA accepts these commitments, we will apply them globally.
We continue to appreciate the thoughtful approach and engagement from the CMA and ICO as we develop our Privacy Sandbox proposals. We welcome, and will carefully consider, any comments that people provide during the consultation process.
Podcast RSI – Perché devo sempre dimostrare che non sono un robot? Breve storia dei Captcha
Perché è necessaria questa dichiarazione, e come mai così tanti siti sono così tanto interessati agli autobus e invece discriminano le eventuali forme di vita artificiali che sono online?
Questa è la storia dei captcha: uno dei tormenti moderni ma non troppo di Internet.
[SIGLA]
Nella preistoria di Internet, negli anni Novanta del secolo scorso per intenderci, quando Google non esisteva ancora (sì, è esistita un’epoca in cui Google non c’era), il motore di ricerca più popolare era un altro:
La soluzione sembrava semplice ed elegante e le fu presto però associato un nome molto meno elegante:
L’utente doveva scriverle entrambe: la prima doveva essere trascritta correttamente e serviva a dimostrare che l’utente era davvero un essere umano, mentre la seconda, quella sconosciuta, andava semplicemente tentata. Se tanti utenti davano la stessa risposta alla stessa parola, quella risposta diventava parte del testo digitalizzato del libro o giornale d’epoca. In altre parole, gli utenti contribuivano, parola dopo parola, a digitalizzare tantissimi testi cartacei.
La cosa piacque così tanto che Recaptcha fu comprato da Google e i captcha in generale furono usati per impedire la creazione massiccia e abusiva di account di mail usa e getta da parte dei venditori di spazzatura digitale.
Ma questi spammer non si arresero. Negli anni che erano passati da quei primi, semplici captcha, la tecnologia del riconoscimento delle immagini aveva fatto enormi progressi, soprattutto nel riconoscimento dei testi, per cui cominciarono a usare computer sempre più potenti per decifrare le parole distorte e scavalcare il filtro antispam.
Questo, però, era un metodo costoso, per cui gli spammer ne inventarono presto un altro molto meno tecnologico: subappaltarono il riconoscimento a degli esseri umani che vivevano in paesi a basso reddito. Migliaia di persone venivano pagate una miseria per risolvere un captcha dopo l’altro, per ore di fila. Nacquero addirittura aziende specializzate nella risoluzione dei captcha. Alcune di loro esistono ancora oggi.
Però questi lavoratori, autentici schiavi digitali, andavano comunque pagati, e in un mercato come quello dello spam, dove i margini sono bassissimi, il costo di quella paga era un problema.
Così gli spammer hanno inventato di recente un’altra soluzione: far risolvere i captcha agli utenti normali, senza che se ne rendano conto. Per esempio, basta creare un sito che contiene qualcosa che gli utenti desiderano (immagini, video, musica, film) e chiedere loro di risolvere un captcha prima di poterlo consultare. Il captcha, in realtà, viene preso di peso istantaneamente da un altro sito, quello nel quale gli spammer vogliono entrare superandone il filtro.
È a questo punto che Google ha risposto con la casella che oggi tutti conosciamo, quella che chiede di confermare che non siamo dei robot. Un solo clic su una sola casella, e il captcha è risolto.
[CLIP: Clic di un mouse]
Sembra una cosa troppo facile, che persino un programma automatico sarebbe in grado di fare, ma c’è il trucco. In realtà dietro le quinte questo captcha trasmette moltissimi dati a Google, che permettono all’azienda di discriminare fra una cliccata fatta da un programma automatico e una fatta da un essere umano.
Quali siano questi dati non si sa. Google non vuole rivelarli per non dare aiuti agli spammer. Forse rileva i tempi di reazione o i movimenti del mouse o del dito; forse legge i cookie che Google deposita sui nostri dispositivi, visto che quando si prova a risolvere uno di questi captcha durante la navigazione privata compare puntualmente un secondo test, quello con la griglia di immagini di autobus, gattini o barche da identificare. Immagini che forse servono ad addestrare le future auto a guida autonoma, vista la loro particolare predilezione per le scene stradali complesse.
Esiste anche una versione ulteriore di questo captcha, che ha debuttato alcuni anni fa, nel 2017, ed è ancora più sofisticata: infatti è completamente invisibile. In questo captcha, Google si limita a osservare il comportamento dell’utente, come muove il mouse o il dito, come fa scorrere lo schermo, come digita le informazioni, e poi usa sofisticati sistemi di intelligenza artificiale per decidere se si tratta di un essere umano o di un sistema automatico. Anche qui, bocche cucite: i dettagli del suo funzionamento non sono pubblici.
La rincorsa fra guardie e ladri continua: avrete notato che oggi alcune banche cominciano a chiedere di identificarsi apparendo in video in tempo reale, mostrando il proprio documento d’identità oltre che il proprio volto, e questo sembra un sistema molto difficile da eludere. Neppure i deepfake riescono a falsificare un video in tempo reale.
Resta il problema di tutti coloro che hanno disabilità e quindi sono tagliati fuori da questi sistemi. Non ci vuole molto: anch’io spesso vengo ingannato dai captcha. E resta anche il problema dell’invasività sempre maggiore di questi metodi per distinguere un umano da un robot. Per non parlare della frustrazione e dell’umiliazione di non riuscire a superare un test che dovrebbe, in teoria, essere alla portata di qualunque persona cosiddetta “normale”.
Dove finirà questa rincorsa è difficile da dire. I sistemi di certificazione dell’identità digitale, come l’EIDAS dell’Unione Europea o SwissID, sono una possibile soluzione, ma non sono universali e spesso incontrano resistenze da parte di chi li considera eccessivamente a rischio per la privacy, la sorveglianza governativa e lo sfruttamento commerciale dei dati degli utenti. E in molti paesi semplicemente non esistono o hanno costi e complicazioni che li rendono inavvicinabili per una fetta importante della popolazione.
Nessun vuole Internet divisa in due categorie: cittadini e internauti di serie A e di serie B. E forse dovremo tornare a chiedere di cliccare più spesso su tanti gattini.
Fonti aggiuntive: Tom Scott; Google; Digital.
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New EU political ads law is a step in the right direction
Having access to the right information matters. During a democratic election, it matters more than ever. High-quality information helps people make informed decisions when voting and counteracts abuse by bad actors. Through programs like security training for campaigns, information about polling places and transparency for political ads, Google is committed to helping support the integrity of democratic processes around the world.
Political advertising is an important component of democratic elections — candidates use ads to raise awareness, share information and engage potential voters. Over the last few years, Google has proactively increased transparency around election advertising: we updated our ads policies to require election advertisers to verify their identities and show who’s paying for an ad. We also introduced transparency reporting for online election ads in Europe as well as in the US and other countries around the world, providing a range of data that goes well beyond what’s typically available for TV, radio or print ads.
We have also made real changes to how election advertising works. In 2020, we implemented industry-leading restrictions to limit election ads’ audience targeting to age, gender and general location (at the postal code level), similar to categories candidates would use in deciding where to run ads on TV shows or in print. That same year, we started rolling out identity verification and disclosures for all advertisers, providing even wider transparency about ad sponsors. These improvements, and more, are part of a larger focus on political advertising that helped us navigate elections in the European Union, the United States, India (the largest democratic election in history) and other leading countries.
Google was one of the original signatories of the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation, which has led to constructive actions and change between the industry, policymakers and the expert community on the challenges of addressing disinformation. The Code laid out a model for voluntary action, facilitating work with policymakers on new transparency reporting on political advertising and helping users, governments and academics better understand how online election ads work.
We share the Commission’s goal of increasing the harmonization of Europe’s transparency rules for political advertising and we support today’s introduction of legislation. As we expand our own efforts, we look forward to engaging with the Commission on how best to meet the goals laid out by the Democracy Action Plan and Digital Services Act. This is a complex field, requiring a balance between minimizing misinformation while protecting legitimate political expression. The Commission’s proposal is an important and welcome step and as the European Council and Parliament review it, we offer a few observations based on our experiences over recent election cycles.
- Clear definitions for ‘political’ ads: It’s critical that the law clarifies which actors and what types of content are subject to the obligations regarding political advertising, giving clear examples of what would or would not be in scope. Without clear definitions, different companies will adopt inconsistent and conflicting policies, making for confusion for advertisers and undermining transparency for citizens. The current text could also inadvertently impact a wider range of ads than intended — for example, sweeping in ads from NGOs on issues of public concern or from private citizens speaking out about social questions.
- Clear responsibilities for platforms and advertisers: Protecting elections is a shared responsibility and we all need to play our part to be more transparent. Advertisers are in the best position to validate their identity and best understand the nature and context of their ads. They play a critical role in providing accurate information and (as they do with other media like television) ensuring that their content complies with applicable laws. Advertiser “self-declaration” — whereby political advertisers verify their identities and declare when they are running political ads — would have advertisers due their share to contribute to transparency, making the law work better in practice.
- Flexibility and dialogue: This is a dynamic and fast moving environment and we have seen a lot of changes to both political ads and governing regulations. Continuing discussions with stakeholders will help regulation react to changing contexts or emerging trends that might affect definitions, regulatory provisions or enforcement.
Elections are a fundamental part of democracy, and new regulations can help keep elections open, transparent and accountable. Legal certainty in those regulations will help candidates, campaigns, advertisers, publishers and platforms understand the precise scope of covered advertising and the specific obligations of each actor. In the coming months we look forward to sharing our experiences with the different institutions and bodies working to advance these important topics.
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Bountiful Thanks: What the TopRank Marketing Team is Most Grateful For
As the U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving Day this week, the world looks back at another year of challenges, changes in the marketing landscape, and workplace shifts.
Despite the global challenges we’ve all faced, we’ve overcome, grown, and adapted, and now is the time to look back on those parts of our lives for which we’re the most thankful.
This year our team here at TopRank Marketing has continued to grow, and we’d like to take this opportunity to reflect on thankfulness in both our professional and personal lives, continuing our annual traditional post sharing messages of gratitude.
Our ability to see and express gratitude in challenging times such as those we’ve all faced over the past two years can be especially meaningful and even replenishing.
Let’s take a moment to open our hearts and take in sentiments of thankfulness from our team, shared with the hope that you’ll also be inspired to reflect on the silver linings that may be hidden in our lives if we simply take the time to listen.
What the TopRank Marketing Team is Most Thankful for in 2021
Lee Odden
CEO and Co-Founder
2021 has been an eventful year and one in which many people have re-examined their priorities, goals and plans for the future. While it’s important to look forward, there’s also a lot of value in reflection and gratitude.
The world in 2021 is very different than 20 years ago when TopRank Marketing was founded. Not only did we not anticipate there would be a global pandemic, we also couldn’t have imagined how well our team adapted, and excelled at the new normal of B2B marketing.
I am incredibly thankful for the entire team at TopRank Marketing for their equal parts passion for the craft of search, content and influencer marketing with service to clients and to each other. All are instrumental in our efforts to help elevate the voices, experiences and humanity of B2B marketing.
Of course success is great but it’s not worth much without health and family. I am incredibly thankful that I have been able to find a passion in running and be on track to run over 2,000 miles in 2021. I am also thankful for my amazing kids and supportive parents who continue to teach me invaluable life lessons.
Lane R. Ellis
Social Media and Content Marketing Manager
2021 held many new wonders and delights, a few sad losses, all coming together to form a year I’m thankful for
I’m especially thankful for my wonderful family, friends, and associates.
Celebrating 20 years of marriage with my amazing wife Julie Ahasay tops my thankfulness list, along with the continuing joy of having my parents Konnie and Bob in my life, as well as my astounding and always-inspiring 104-year-old grandma Lilly Haldorsen, who recently hosted her first Zoom talk and has taken up learning a new language.
I’m thankful for nearly 38 years of using the Internet, and to still be able to run, mountain bike, and cross-country ski the beautiful trails of Duluth, and for our loving cat Kukla Francis Oliver. Sadness came in the form of losing several dear friends, and our beloved eleven-year-old cat Phineas Faustus Ellis, and these losses reinforce how fortunate we are to have the gifts each day offers to us.
It’s a great time to reach out and give the world and its endless opportunities a cozy wintery embrace, so here’s a big virtual hug to all of you I’m fortunate enough to know, lovely family and friends. Thank you.
Amie Krone
Senior Director of Operations & HR
With all of the changes that have happened in the past 2 years (almost!) I am most thankful for having a team of people, both personal and professional, surrounding me – giving me support, inspiration and motivation to do great things.
My family always serves as my rock and reason for everything I do and I can’t be more thankful to have all of them in my life, cheering me on to see me grow.
The team at TopRank Marketing continues to be some of the most intelligent, interesting, and driven people I have ever met. Many of whom I can truly call friends, not just colleagues, I am so thankful to have the relationships with them I do. Their drive and passion push me to go beyond what I think are my limits – to do bigger, better things – day in and day out.
Maria Kawaguchi
Director of Agency Marketing
Never would I have imagined that 2021 would involve me moving across the country, to my hometown of Columbia, SC. This year has challenged me even more to step outside of my comfort zone, open my eyes, and welcome new possibilities. I’m most thankful for having more time to spend with family, the honor of caring for my parents, and the opportunity to tap deeper into my passion for dance.
Moving to a new place has taught me the beauty of connection and building community. With that, I’m grateful for all the opportunities to volunteer on the healthcare front-lines and at local shelters. Here I’ve met so many like-minded individuals who are committed to giving back and helping the under-served.
Professionally, I’m grateful to have joined the TopRank Marketing team! Despite the fact that I have never met anyone in-person, it has truly been a breath of fresh air with all-around good energy! Thank you!
Mike Odden
Research Analyst
I am very thankful for my wife Ruthe who has supported me all these 57 years, and also our children and grandchildren who we are especially proud of.
Also the opportunity of working with a great team and company, TopRank Marketing.
Anne Leuman
Senior Operations Strategist
Each year, I grow more and more thankful for my coworkers here at TopRank Marketing. The uncertain times we live in have not been easy – in life, or in work – and the support we have for each other has really shone through. I also am so grateful for our open-mindedness as an organization. From processes to resources to client programs and beyond, we are always willing to hear thoughts for improvement and make changes. That willingness to change and drive to improve makes TopRank an exciting and rewarding place to work each day.
Elizabeth Williams
Senior Account Manager
My heart overflows with gratitude every year I get the chance to share on our annual blog. This year, I’m grateful for a brand new, healthy baby girl who’s already jumping and “talking” like crazy at 5 months. An energetic number-readin’ 4-year-old. A stretching 7-year-old sunshine. And the least thanked, superhero that makes our daily lives ‘go’ – my husband of 8 years!
Sam Kirchoff
Internal Marketing Manager
I’m thankful for life. I mean that in both the grandest and minute way: we’ve all gone through so much these last nearly two years in a chaotic, pandemic world… and many people didn’t make it through. But I did, and my loved ones did. I’m thankful for the ability to roll my eyes when my parents don’t know how to use technology, I’m thankful for dear friends who always respond to late night texts, I’m thankful for a partner who always does the dishes because I hate getting wrinkly hands, I’m thankful for a workplace that makes me feel not only welcome, but celebrated. I’m thankful for instant noodles, good books, and BTS. I’m thankful for my cats, my wool socks, and my space heater. I’m thankful for everything.
Mostly, though, I’m thankful for my daughter. Without her, all the rest would fall away. With her, my life is golden.
Debbie Friez
Senior Influencer Marketing Strategist
I am thankful for almost 7 years of working with the amazing, smart, talented team at TopRank Marketing. Every day I look forward to new challenges and exciting experiences. The best part of my job is learning from the many thought leaders some will call influencers. I truly treasure the relationships I’ve built with so many great minds.
In a year that has brought so many health challenges for the world, I am thankful for my health and that of my family.
TopRank Marketing Gives Thanks For You
All of us at TopRank Marketing are grateful for you, and thank you for being the supportive fans, amazing clients, friends, and enthusiastic influencers that have allowed us to achieve personal, professional, and brand success.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sincerely,
The TopRank Marketing Team
The post Bountiful Thanks: What the TopRank Marketing Team is Most Grateful For appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog – TopRank®.
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