Bonded Bitesize – Your Midweek Roundup

Google Must Face Suit In Battle Over Children’s Smartphone Data, Judge Confirms

A federal judge has denied Google’s request to appeal a decision requiring the company to face claims that it collected personal data from children under 13 without parental consent. The lawsuit, filed by parents in California, alleges Google’s AdMob continued collecting data from apps marketed as child-friendly, violating privacy and consumer protection laws. Google argued the claims were untimely and precluded by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). However, the judge ruled that claims were valid since data collection allegedly persisted until 2021 and that COPPA doesn’t block state-level lawsuits. Google sought an immediate appeal, asserting it lacked knowledge of collecting children’s data, but the judge rejected this, stating appeals are reserved for exceptional cases.

YouTube Previews Coming AI Elements in its ‘Inspiration’ Tab

YouTube is enhancing its Inspiration tab, formerly known as the Research tab, in YouTube Studio to help creators maximise content engagement. The updates include AI-generated content ideas tailored to a creator’s channel, audience, and trending topics. Creators will receive suggestions such as video titles, summaries, and audience interest insights. As part of this, a new ‘Idea Playground’ feature allows customisation of these ideas, including different angles, AI-generated thumbnails, and titles. While some worry about over-reliance on AI stifling creativity, YouTube aims to inspire creators by simplifying research and sparking new concepts. Currently in testing with selected users, these tools are set to roll out to all creators in the coming months. 

LinkedIn Shares Research Into the Impact of B2B Influencers

B2B influencer marketing is rapidly gaining traction, particularly on LinkedIn, where professionals connect and engage with relevant content. With the creator economy projected to reach $500 billion by 2027, B2B influencers are key for building trust and credibility in complex buying journeys. Unlike B2C influencers, B2B influencers—industry experts, thought leaders, and employees—focus on expertise, authenticity, and engagement. Effective campaigns often target the research and consideration phases of buyer journeys, leveraging LinkedIn’s trusted platform. Tools like Thought Leader Ads amplify credibility, driving significantly higher click-through rates, lower costs, and increased lead generation. Combining video, diverse content formats, and strategic targeting ensures influencers humanise brands and guide purchasing decisions effectively, transforming B2B marketing.

For more B2B tips, check out LinkedIn’s full guide to effectively leverage influencers in B2B Marketing.

New Google Ads Customer Match For Google Analytics Audiences

Google Analytics now integrates with Customer Match from Google Ads, enabling the use of consented, hashed first-party customer data alongside tag-based user identifiers. This enhancement allows businesses to supplement Analytics audiences exported to Google Ads, increasing addressable audiences when other identifiers are unavailable. Customer Match eliminates the need for manually creating customer lists in Google Ads, streamlining campaign setup and reducing redundancies. It bridges the gap between Analytics and Ads by incorporating customer data into exported audiences, simplifying audience targeting and improving campaign effectiveness. Data can be uploaded via CSV or linked data sources, making Customer Match a powerful tool for leveraging first-party data in advertising.

Google Is Testing A New Video Format For Some YouTube Videos That Provide Digestable Summaries Based On The Users Queries

Google is testing a new video format in Google Search that provides ‘easy-to-digest’ summaries of YouTube videos based on users’ queries. The pilot, which began recently, displays a new interface featuring quick summaries and key takeaways from YouTube videos. When users search for relevant topics, a carousel of video content appears, showing summaries generated by AI. These summaries highlight the most relevant parts of the video for the search query, and users can expand the content for more details. This format aims to improve user experience by making it easier to engage with YouTube videos directly from Google Search, while also helping users discover creators they might otherwise miss. The pilot is expected to last four months and may introduce more visual and scannable formats for video search.

Google Search Change Hits Publisher Black Friday E-commerce Revenue

Google’s recent ‘site reputation abuse’ update has significantly impacted news publishers who rely on affiliate marketing through third-party content, such as sponsored offers, coupon codes, and product reviews. Major outlets like Forbes, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal have been penalised, particularly sections hosting affiliate content, even if created by first-party teams. Google’s crackdown targets content deemed to exploit a publisher’s reputation for search ranking manipulation, with penalties affecting subdomains or subfolders where such content is hosted. While some argue this policy improves search quality by removing low-value content, others believe it unfairly punishes legitimate affiliate marketing. The timing of the penalties, just before key e-commerce periods, has also frustrated publishers, leaving many scrambling to adjust their monetisation strategies.

OpenAI Explores Advertising As It Steps Up Revenue Drive

OpenAI is exploring the introduction of advertising to its AI products as it seeks new revenue streams following its restructuring into a for-profit company. CFO Sarah Friar confirmed in an interview that the $150bn AI start-up is considering an ads model, though it remains cautious about its implementation. OpenAI has been hiring advertising talent from Meta and Google to assist in this effort. While the company has no immediate plans for ads, it is aiming to capitalise on its rapid growth and existing business model, including its successful ChatGPT API.