Google and Facebook are strangling the free press to death. Democracy is the loser | Barry Lynn

As gatekeepers to the news, Google and Facebook pose dangers to even the most successful outlets. Legislators need to speed the process of bringing them to heelAfter Europe’s top monopoly buster Margrethe Vestager fined Google more than $5bn for abusing its dominance over mobile phone technology, it’s tempting to relax about the power of big tech. Not only is there a cop watching these giants, she’s carrying a really big stick.But this week’s firing by the New York Daily News of half the paper’s staff shines a different light on the matter. The reason given by the publisher – a sharp decline in revenue – is largely the result of Google abusing its monopoly over online advertising, in tandem with Facebook. Vestager’s move against Android does nothing to protect the free press in Europe or America. This means it’s time for other regulators and legislators in America and in Europe to speed the process of bringing Google to heel. Related: New York Daily News cuts half of its newsroom staff The number of people working in America’s newsrooms dropped from more than 400,000 in 2001 to fewer than 185,000 today Related: How to fix big tech? We need the right language to describe it first | Marc DaCosta Barry Lynn is the executive director of the Open Markets Institute Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #big tech #sharp decline #online advertising #newsroom staff #people working

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Google and Facebook are strangling the free press to death. Democracy is the loser | Barry Lynn'


Marketers Still Eager to Increase Spending on Facebook and Google, Study Finds

A record 57% of marketers and agencies are allocating 20% or more of budgets to digital advertising, including 23% who earmark more than half of their spending for digital, according to the most recent in a series of studies published by RBC Capital Markets in partnership with Ad Age. Two... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2016-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital spend #digital advertising #study finds #studies published


Facebook Owns Social Login Scene, But Google's Creeping Up

Social logins remain an easy way for brands and publishers to get people to register to use their sites and apps in order to collect more information about those people -- who opt-in to share that information -- and do things like customize the articles or products they're shown.Not... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2016-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook remains #fourth quarter


Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter and Yahoo balk at UK's Investigatory Powers Bill

The Investigatory Powers Bill may only be in draft form at the moment, but the UK government has already come in for criticism for its plans. Today, scores of pieces of written evidence, both for and against the proposals, have been published, including input from the Reform Government... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2016-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uk government #issue warnings


Mark Zuckerberg Defends Facebook Against Free Basics' Critics

Is Free Basics an altruistic effort to connect the world to opportunities, or a neocolonial race to control and capitalize on new markets?Today, Mark Zuckerberg published a lengthy opinion article in The Times Of India defending his attempt to connect millions of people to the Internet via a... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-12-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Google’s Answer to Facebook Instant Articles — The AMP Project — is Coming Early Next Year

Google introduced its Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) program to allow publishers and advertisers to create good-looking mobile content that loads very quickly.   The company launched the program in early October with a select set of pa ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-11-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mobile content #company launched #early october


Turkey sinks to new low in its debasement of a free press

The appointment of a ‘trustee panel’ to oversee the output of Istanbul publisher Koza-Ipek is more depressing than the police closing it downWhen Turkish police stormed the Koza-Ipek publishing house last week, closing down two daily papers and two TV channels in a forest of shields and batons,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #daily papers #tv channels


Google's AMP Is Facebook's Instant Articles for the Mobile Web

To hear publishers tell it, Google's plan to help sites' pages instantly load on mobile isn't a shot across the bow at Facebook, which is doing the same thing. It's a shot at keeping the mobile web and the publishers on it relevant at a time when audiences' attentions are shifting to mobile apps... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mobile web #mobile apps #vox media


Google Unveils Accelerated Mobile Pages, Its Take On Facebook's Instant Articles

On Wednesday, Google announced its Accelerated Mobile Pages project, for which it has partnered with dozens of prominent publishers.In May, Facebook lifted the curtain on Instant Articles, a native publishing platform that hosts articles directly on the social network. For Facebook, which... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #google announced #prominent publishers #largest source #referral traffic #online publishers #fast-loading pages #attractive option


Google AMP battles ad-blocking, Apple and Facebook by cutting load times

Search company unveils Accelerated Mobile Pages in bid to work with publishers, ad companies and rival platforms Google is attempting to counter the threat from ad-blocking and rivals Facebook and Apple by radically improving the loading speed of web pages on smartphones and tablets.Accelerated... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #rivals facebook #web pages


Johnston Press Announces Closures of 11 Free Titles to Focus on 'Digital Offering'

The regional publisher has axed eight free print titles in the Midlands and folded a further three into paid-for titles in the North West and South.   The company announced the closures in a statement to shareholders this morning in an update on ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #regional publisher #north west #company announced


To compete with Facebook and Google, publishers step up their ad-targeting game

Traditional publishers, tired of competing with Facebook and Google for digital ad dollars, are taking steps to get more personal with their advertising. Among the big topics discussed during Advertising Week was how media companies like News Corp and Condé Nast are getting into the ad tech... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers step #traditional publishers #taking steps #media companies #ad targeting


Ello, the ad-free social network alternative to Facebook, launches mobile app

Ello's mobile app will hit the Apple App store Thursday, about eight months after the ad-free social network launched as an invite-only alternative to Facebook. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mobile app


Google and Facebook Are Our Frenemy. Beware.

Google, Facebook, Twitter and any other social platform you care to name would at one time have gone to the corporate stake to defend the idea that they are not publishers or actively engaged in acts of journalism.   Things are changing rapidly. .. Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #social platform #actively engaged #changing rapidly


Google and Facebook offer support after Nepal earthquake

When disaster strikes, technology can often be put to good use. Following the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal this week, Google and Facebook are among the companies helping those in the area, as well as people looking for friends and relatives. Google's People Finder does very much what... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2015-04-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #enables people #disaster strikes #devastating earthquake #mobile devices


Turkey blocks Facebook, YouTube and Twitter; Zuckerberg caves in, Google fights back

Today Turkey blocked access to a number of websites including YouTube and Twitter. The ban came after the sites published images of a prosecutor being taken hostage at a court in Istanbul earlier in the week. Google has vowed to getting things back up and running, but it's not the same story for... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2015-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #court ruling


Google, Beware: Facebook to Open Ad Exchange Powered by LiveRail

Facebook continues its campaign to invade Google's ad-tech turf.Facebook is building an ad exchange that would automate the sale of other publishers' ads, according to people familiar with the matter. LiveRail, the online video ad-tech firm that Facebook bought last summer, will be the one... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #display ads #publishers sell #ad exchange #facebook continues #facebook bought #people familiar


Why Google-Backed Press Fund Strayed From Its Mission to Help Charlie Hebdo

Charlie Hebdo is printing 7 million copies of its "survivor's issue," published one week after terrorists attacked the magazine's Paris office Jan. 7, killing 12 people. To print the additional copies, Charlie Hebdo, which usually puts out 60,000 copies per issue, received financial help from... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #french media #digital age #mobile app #website redesign #daily basis


In Colombia, Facebook Partners with 24symbols for Free Books

For the first time, Facebook's Internet.org app has bundled free ebooks with its services, starting in Colombia with 24symbols. The post In Colombia, Facebook Partners with 24symbols for Free Books appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #free books


Apple, Google and Facebook lend support and money to Je Suis Charlie campaign

12 people died in an attack on satirical French magazine, Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday. At time of writing, the situation in France is still unfolding, and technology companies have been quick to show their sympathy for the victims whilst voicing support for freedom of speech. Google has donated... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2015-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #charlie hebdo #technology companies #print run #financial support


Mark Zuckerberg defends free Facebook, fires back at Apple and Ello

When Tim Cook published an open letter in September to address iCloud privacy and security concerns, he said free online services treat you, the consumers, as product. Even newcomer Ello, which is dubbed the anti-Facebook, has a manifesto that ends w... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-12-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #open letter #security concerns