GMB PWND by spammer, Google moves toward contextual advertising & The FTC updates review guidelines

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After a brief discussion of Google My Business losing control of their previous FB page, we cover how Google, in formally abandoning their FLOC replacement for cookies. is attempting to implement a new API, Topics, that provides websites with 3 weeks of user interests for targeting advertising. Clearly the world is moving toward contextual advertising and away from behavioral targeting but whether Google can get this effort off the ground is another matter 

In a high profile case, the FTC fined Fashion Nova for hiding hundreds of thousands of 

Studies show that gating actually impedes review volume speaking to the benefit of review transparency and doesn’t prevent negative reviews. The new guidelines will not change small business behavior but the review platforms will have to comply with the guidance.  

The Near Memo is a weekly conversation about Search, Social, and Commerce: What happened, why it matters, and the implications for local businesses and national brands.
Near Memo Ep 49 s2e3

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