Morning Bulletin: Facebook speeds up ads, Apple at war with Europe & Twitter’s Nazi problem
This morning brings some harsh words for Europe from Apple chief Tim Cook, who has dismissed tax demands as ‘political crap’, meanwhile Facebook is taking steps to provide zippier adverts whilst Twitter is asked to own up to its Nazi problem.
Mazda has become the latest car manufacturer to make headlines for all the wrong reasons after it recalled 2.3m vehicles amidst concerns over potential problems with rear gates and a separate issue involving its diesel engines.
Cash hungry celebrities are raking in an average of £143k from brands for sponsored videos according to a US talent agency, with high profile beneficiaries including the likes of Kim Kardashian
‘White nationalists’ mostly situated in the US, are being given relatively free reign to operate online by Twitter, reports Business Insider. It says that that accounts such as the American Nazi Party have grown to more than 25,000 followers, far more than equivalent accounts for militant Islamists.
Coronation Street meanwhile has been forced to apologise after more than 300 viewers complained about a ‘racist’ remark made by character Eva Price who said her hair had "more roots than Kunta Kinte".
Apple chief executive Tim Cook has dismissed a £11bn tax liability imposed by the EU as ‘total political crap’, according to Reuters, with the company pledging to collaborate closely with Ireland to overturn the ruling.
The Times runs with predictions of a US-style lobbying boom in the wake of the Brexit vote with a host of lawyers and consultants salivating at the prospect of years of political deal making ahead.
Ad Exchanger reports that EU telecom regulators have now banned network-level ad blocking, pre-empting moves by several European carriers to implement such technology – although individual consumers will retain the right to block adverts should they so choose.
The BBC has finally closed a loophole that enabled viewers to watch its shows on catch-up services without having to cough up for a license fee, a move it hopes will go some way towards closing a £150m black hole in its finances.
Instagram comes into focus at Ad Week amidst reports that it has introduced zoom functionality for photos and videos, allowing viewers to magnify a scene with a simple pinch.
Facebook is acting fast to speed up its services after issuing an ultimatum to advertisers with slow websites that they will now be less likely to carry their ads after it began to factor in web-load times before deciding which adverts they will allow.