Business
Google’s Millisecond Ad Auctions Are The Focus Of A Monopoly Claim
Alexandria, Virginia – It happens in milliseconds, preferably as you browse the internet. Computer and software networks analyze who you are, and what you are looking at, and buy and sell website adverts.
Google is most likely responsible for determining which ads you see and how much an advertiser pays to be on your screen.
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Google’s Millisecond Ad Auctions Are The Focus Of A Monopoly Claim
In reality, the Justice Department and a coalition of states argue that Google’s domination over the technology that governs the sale of billions of Internet display ads every day represents an illegal monopoly that should be split up.
A trial is underway in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, to establish if Google’s ad tech stack represents an illegal monopoly. The first week has included a thorough examination of how Google’s products interact to perform behind-the-scenes computerized auctions that place advertising in front of people in the blink of an eye.
Online advertising has grown rapidly. If you saw an online display ad fifteen years ago, there was a high chance it depicted individuals dancing over their excitement for cheap mortgage rates, and those commercials were pushed on you whether you were browsing real estate or checking for baseball statistics.
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Google, for its part, claims to have invested billions of dollars in improving the quality of ads seen by consumers and ensuring that marketers can reach the consumers they seek.
According to the Justice Department, Google has also rigged automated ad sales auctions to favor itself over other would-be industry players, denying the publishing industry hundreds of millions of dollars that it would have received if the auctions were truly competitive.
During the Virginia trial, government witnesses detailed the auction process and how it has developed over time.
In the government’s picture, three distinct instruments work together to sell an ad and present it in front of a consumer. There are ad servers that publishers use to sell space on their websites, particularly the rectangular advertising that displays at the top and right sides of a page. Ad networks are used by advertisers to purchase ad space on a variety of related websites.
Publishers naturally want to earn the highest possible price for their ad space, but testimony at trial revealed that this did not always occur due to Google’s policies.
For years, Google provided its ad exchange, AdX, the first opportunity to match a publisher’s requested floor price. For example, if a publisher wished to sell an ad impression for at least 50 cents, Google’s engine would prioritize its own ad exchange. If Google’s ad exchange bid 50 cents, it would win the auction, even if competing ad exchanges offered higher bids later on.
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Google’s Millisecond Ad Auctions Are The Focus Of A Monopoly Claim
Google claimed the approach was required to ensure advertising loaded promptly. It would be too time-consuming for the computers to accept bids from every ad exchange.
Publishers were displeased with the system and devised a workaround to conduct auctions outside of Google’s purview, a procedure known as “header bidding.” Internal Google documents presented at the trial depicted header bidding as a “existential threat” to Google’s market domination.
Google’s reaction was based on its control over all three components of the process. If publishers held an auction outside of Google’s purview but still used Google’s publisher ad server, DoubleClick For Publishers, the program would force the winning bid back into Google’s Ad Exchange. If Google was willing to match the price earned by publishers in the header-bidding auction, it would win the auction.
According to Professor Ramamoorthi Ravi, an expert at Carnegie Mellon University, Google’s regulations failed to maximise value for publishers and “seem to have been designed to advantage Google’s own products.”
Publishers could cease utilising Google’s ad exchange totally, but they were hesitant to do so at trial because it would mean losing access to Google’s massive, exclusive cache of advertisers in its Google Ads network, which was only accessible through Google’s ad exchange.
Google, for its side, claims that it has not conducted auctions in this manner since 2019, and that its proportion of the display ad market has dwindled over the last five years. It claims that integrating its buy side, sell side, and middleman solutions allows them to work more smoothly and rapidly, while also reducing the danger of misleading ads or malware.
Google also claims that its developments over the previous 15 years have helped to better the matching of internet adverts to consumer interests. Google claims it was at the vanguard of introducing “real-time bidding,” which allowed an advertiser selling shoes, for example, to be matched with a consumer whose web profile indicated an interest in purchasing shoes.
According to Google, these developments enabled publishers to charge a premium for their available ad space because the advertiser knew the ad would be seen by someone interested in their product or service.
According to the Justice Department, even though Google no longer conducts auctions in the manner described, it assisted Google in maintaining its monopoly in the ad tech market in the years preceding 2019, and that its current monopoly allows Google to keep up to 36 cents on the dollar of every ad purchase it brokers when the transaction runs through all of its various products.
The Virginia trial comes barely a month after a court in Washington ruled that Google’s search engine is also an unconstitutional monopoly. There has been no ruling in that case as to what remedies, if any, the judge will impose.
SOURCE | AP
An Amazon strike has hit facilities in the United States in an effort by the Teamsters union to pressure the corporation for a labour agreement during a peak shopping season.
The Teamsters union told the Associated Press that Amazon delivery drivers at seven facilities in the United States walked off the job on Thursday after the firm failed to discuss a labour contract.
According to the union, Amazon employees in Teamsters union jackets were protesting at “hundreds” of additional Amazon facilities, which the union billed as the “largest strike” in US history involving the company.
The corporation, which employs over 800,000 people in its US delivery network, stated that its services will be unaffected.
It was unclear how many people, including members of Germany’s United Services Union, participated in Thursday’s demonstration. The Teamsters union reported that thousands of Amazon employees were implicated in the United States.
Amazon Strike at 10 Locations
Overall, the group claims to represent “nearly 10,000” Amazon strikers, having signed up thousands of people at roughly ten locations across the country, many of whom have joined in recent months.
The organization has claimed recognition from Amazon going on strike, claiming the firm illegally neglected its obligation to bargain collectively over salary and working conditions.
The Teamsters is a long-standing US union with nearly one million members. It is well-known for securing lucrative contracts for its members at companies like delivery behemoth UPS.
Most of the Teamsters’ Amazon campaigns have concerned drivers working for third-party delivery companies that partner with the tech behemoth.
Amazon denies that it is liable as an employer in those circumstances, which is a point of legal contention. In at least one case, labour officials have taken a preliminary stance in favour of the union.
Stalled Contract Negotiations
Amazon employees at a major warehouse on Staten Island in New York have also chosen to join the Teamsters. Their warehouse is the only Amazon facility in the United States where labour officials have formally recognized a union win.
However, the Amazon strike is because contract negotiations have not progressed since the 2022 vote. It was not one of the areas scheduled to go on strike on Thursday.
Amazon, one of the largest employers in the United States, has long received criticism for its working conditions and has been the target of activists seeking to gain traction among its employees.
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(VOR News) – Thousands of Amazon employees at various sites across the country were scheduled to go on strike on Thursday in an effort by the Teamsters union to pressure the retail behemoth to acknowledge its unionised workers in the United States.
The walkout is expected to concentrate on seven Amazon locations across the country during the holiday purchasing surge and may be the most significant union action against Amazon in the nation’s history.
The business announced on Thursday morning that there had been no effect on operations. It also stated that it is “continuing to concentrate on fulfilling customers’ holiday orders.”
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters maintains that it represents more than 10,000 Amazon employees and contractors in aviation centres, warehouses, and delivery centres.
Amazon has refused to acknowledge the union for many years.
The retail giant, which employs approximately 1.5 million individuals, excludes contractors and part-timers. A strike has been initiated by delivery couriers and warehouse employees at seven distinct locations in order to exert pressure on the company to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement that would encompass modifications to compensation, amenities, and working conditions.
Picketing was intended for New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Skokie, Illinois.
Also, the Teamsters assert that they are establishing picket lines at “hundreds” of additional warehouses and delivery centres by encouraging non-unionized workers to picket under U.S. labour law, which protects workers’ ability to take collective action to further their interests.
“Amazon workers are exercising their power,” Randy Korgan stated to NPR.
“They now realise there is a pathway to take on a corporate giant like this – and that they hold the power.” Amazon responds by accusing the Teamsters of fabricating information regarding the strikes, asserting that the participants are “entirely” outsiders rather than employees or subcontractors of the corporation.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel stated that “the reality is that they were unable to secure sufficient support from our employees and partners and have invited external parties to harass and intimidate our team.” For more than a year, the Teamsters have been intentionally misleading the public by claiming to represent “thousands of employees and drivers.” They do not.
The Teamsters did not provide a specific duration for the strike; however, they informed NPR that it would extend beyond one day. Workers would receive $1,000 per week in strike money, as per the union.
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien issued a statement in which he stated, “If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can attribute it to Amazon’s insatiable greed.” We established a firm deadline for Amazon to attend the meeting and treat our members equitably. They disregarded it.
The Teamsters granted until December 15 to convene with its unionised employees and develop a collective bargaining agreement.
Amazon has opposed all unionisation efforts in court, asserting that unions were not advantageous to its employees and emphasising the compensation and benefits that the organisation currently provides.
Amazon has been accused of discriminatory labour practices on numerous occasions, including the termination of labour organisers. Furthermore, it has disputed its official status as a contract employer.
Teamsters organize Amazon delivery couriers and other employees.
In June, Amazon established its first unionised warehouse in Staten Island, New York, two years after making history by voting to join the fledgling Amazon Labour Union, which is also affiliated with the Teamsters.
The union is one of the most influential in the United States and Canada, with 1.3 million members. On Thursday, the German United Services Union declared that Amazon employees in Germany would participate in a strike in conjunction with their American counterparts.
In the past, Amazon has experienced demonstrations in Germany and Spain that were related to the holiday season in order to advocate for improved wages and working conditions.
“The holiday season has arrived.” Delivery is anticipated. Patricia Campos-Medina, the executive director of Cornell University’s Worker Institute, asserts that “this is the moment in which workers have control over the supply chain.”
The Teamsters have reported that Amazon’s profits have increased both during and after the pandemic. The corporation is currently valued at over $2.3 trillion, with net income of $15 billion in the most recent quarter alone. It is the second-largest private employer in the United States, following Walmart.
SOURCE: NPR
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If you enjoy Crown Royal Canadian whisky, the company has announced the launch of a new expression, which will join its lineup of famous sipping whiskies.
As the name implies, Crown Royal Reserve Aged 12 Years Blended Canadian Whisky is a blend of whiskies selected by Crown Royal’s master blenders. Each had been maturing for at least twelve years.
Crown Royal Canadian whisky is a robust, drinkable whisky with flavours of dried fruits, roasted vanilla beans, cinnamon candy, and baking spices. It all culminates with a warming, lingering, spicy finish that leaves you wanting more. It’s subtle and robust enough to drink neat or on the rocks.
“Crown Royal Reserve Aged 12 Years stays true to the tradition of the original Crown Royal Reserve offering while elevating the flavour profile with more pronounced fruity notes,” stated Mark Balkenende, Master Blender of Crown Royal, in a press statement.
“This expression enhances what makes Reserve unique within the Crown Royal portfolio, now featuring the exciting addition of an age statement that provides a more elevated experience for our consumers.”
This 80-proof sipping whisky will be available at select locations in the United States starting this month for a suggested retail price of $49.99. You’ll want to try this unique taste if you enjoy blended Crown Royal Canadian whisky.
About Crown Royal Canadian Whisky
The post-Crown Royal will release a new 12-year-old blended whisky that appeared first in The Manual.
Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey is a classic loved for its smooth taste and rich history. First crafted in 1939 to honour King George VI and Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Canada, this whisky has built a lasting reputation.
Made in Gimli, Manitoba, it has a unique flavour from blending 50 whiskies. It offers a balanced and approachable profile with notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak.
Whether enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or in cocktails, Crown Royal stands out as a top choice for whisky fans. The signature purple bag protects the bottle and is a recognizable symbol. Crown Royal continues representing Canadian quality and pride in the global whisky scene.
Nestled along the western side of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba is the little town of Gimli, where a committed group of professionals devote their time and love to the production of Crown Royal Fine De Luxe Blended Canadian Whisky.
As proud stewards, these men and women carry out the same process that generations of Crown Royal employees have done before them, demonstrating that each bottle of Crown Royal Fine De Luxe Blended Canadian Whisky contains a lifetime of expertise.
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