Today's news digest: Instagram tests unskippable video ads, Ericsson dismantles advertising division, ITN signs deal to protect content from AI
Unfortunately for test subjects, Instagram is testing a new ad format that forces users to watch unskippable video ads. The ads appear in the main feed with a timer at the bottom. Users cannot continue scrolling through their feed until the ad timer expires. Not surprisingly, the ads have not been well received by test subjects. If the social media giant decides to implement this ad format, Instagram ads may become more similar to YouTube ads.
While Instagram is considering taking its advertising business to new extremes, Ericsson has revealed plans to shut down its advertising division. In 2017, the Swedish telecom equipment company launched its advertising division, Emodo, as part of its strategic drive to offer customers more monetization opportunities through digital advertising. However, the venture was largely unsuccessful, failing to gain sufficient traction in the advertising market and falling short of its original financial targets. Emodo's closure is one of many examples of failed partnerships between telecom companies and ad tech.
In the AI space, ITN, which produces ITV News, Channel 4 News and Channel 5 News, is the first UK news organisation to announce an agreement aimed at protecting its archives from AI. ITN's steps to protect its content from AI stem from concerns that its content could be misused to create disinformation and even deepfakes. The deal with OpenOrigins ensures that all video clip footage is verified and protected through blockchain technology. Each piece of ITN content will be given a unique identifier on the blockchain, acting as a seal of provenance to prove it is original, untampered content. ITN will be part of Open Origins' new AI licensing marketplace for video content, making its video training data accessible to AI apps, companies, universities and research institutes.
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