Today’s news digest: Chrome data collection lawsuit reignited, OpenAI signs deal with Condé Nast, YouTube expands partnership with Shopify
Google is currently trying to navigate rough waters. A few weeks ago, it received a major blow when U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that the company had engaged in illegal conduct to maintain its search monopoly. More trouble is brewing for the tech giant as it awaits its trial against the Department of Justice over its ad stack, scheduled for September 9. A class action lawsuit against Google for collecting Chrome users’ data without their consent has been revived after a federal appeals court overturned a ruling that had been dismissed in December 2022. The lawsuit alleged that Google “intentionally and unlawfully” transmitted users’ browsing history, IP addresses, cookie IDs and unique browser IDs without permission, which Google argued users consented to by accepting the company’s privacy policy. The lawsuit was dismissed by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who ruled that users had properly consented. Now, Judge Milan D. Smith Jr. has said that Judge Gonzalez Rogers did not consider whether users actually understood the contract. The case will be retried in a lower court.
While Google faces further trials and tribulations, rival OpenAI has formed a new partnership with Condé Nast that will see OpenAI surface content from brands like Vogue, Vanity Fair, and GQ within its products, including ChatGPT and SearchGPT. OpenAI continues to work with publishers to gather feedback on SearchGPT. In its own words, it has been working with publishers to “ensure that AI plays a greater role in news discovery and distribution,” while at the same time maintaining “respect for accuracy, integrity, and quality journalism.”
Collaboration is also a top priority for YouTube, which just announced an expanded partnership with Shopify. The deal will allow more merchants to offer their products for creators to tag in shopping content. All eligible Shopify Plus and Advanced merchants in the U.S. can now sign up for the video platform’s Shopping Affiliate Program through Shopify’s Google and YouTube apps. Merchants can access their analytics, content and products through Google Merchant Center. Additionally, the video giant is introducing a new Chrome extension for U.S. creators in the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program, which will allow them to save products while browsing a brand or retailer’s site, making them easier to find when tagging videos.
What’s New on ExchangeWire
OMD’s Mike Murray discusses the evolution of programmatic
Performics’ Thiago Correa talks about Apple’s revised DMA compliance plan, Amazon’s social commerce deals, and TikTok’s growing connection with gaming
Pixels’ Alex Powell talks about turning the open web into a TikTok
What’s New at PressBox
Mindshare and Teads drive innovation with King Living’s first CTV campaign in Singapore
Nexxen’s exclusive automated content recognition data now available on The Trade Desk
Illuma’s AI-powered contextual tools now available in Amazon Publisher Services’ Connections Marketplace
