What's up with Mozilla buying ad firm Anonym? It's all about 'privacy-centric advertising'
- Reference: 1718739148
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/06/18/mozilla_buys_anonym_betting_privacy/
- Source link:
Essentially, Moz has bought an outfit, founded in 2022 by former Meta executives, that among other things helps advertisers and ad networks measure how well online adverts are performing and that they are being seen by the right audiences, in a way that ideally preserves people's privacy.
Mozilla Corporation CEO Laura Chambers announced the tie-up, citing the industry shift toward more privacy-preserving ads as a rationale.
[1]
"With growing consumer concerns and increasing scrutiny from regulators, it’s evident that current [2]data practices are excessive and unsustainable," said Chambers in an [3]announcement this week. "We are at the forefront of a pivotal shift in how privacy and advertising coexist, reshaping the digital landscape for advertisers, platforms, and consumers."
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Mozilla's marquee product, the Firefox browser, has long been a refuge from the not-so-private Google Chrome ecosystem among those who block ads for the sake of [6]security [PDF] and privacy. And many of its [7]other products also emphasize privacy, which since the 1990s has implied the avoidance of online advertising.
Regulatory changes in the past few years have led to efforts to reconcile privacy and advertising, most notably Google's Privacy Sandbox, a set of notionally privacy-preserving ad technologies intended to take over from the intrusive data collection enabled by third-party cookies – due to be [8]phased out next year.
[9]
As services like Oracle Advertising [10]fall victim to reduced data availability, those aiming to reinvent the ad market in a more legally compliant form have grown fond of the phrase "privacy-preserving." [11]Brave Search Ads , for example, is a "privacy-preserving ad platform." Apple's [12]Safari browser has a setting to enable "Privacy-Preserving Ad Measurement." And [13]Microsoft Edge has its own approach for "privacy-preserving ads."
Arielle Garcia, director of intelligence for ad watchdog [14]Check My Ads , told The Register in an email that she's generally skeptical of claims about privacy-preserving ad technology.
"For example, how do Anonym’s audience capabilities, like their [15]lookalike modeling , jibe with what Mozilla considers to be ' [16]exploitative models of data extraction? ' The data that is 'securely shared' by platforms and advertisers to enable ad targeting and measurement have to come from somewhere – and there’s more to privacy than not leaking user IDs."
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Whatever the case, Mozilla's embrace of Anonym's "unique privacy-preserving technology" should turn a few heads. Not only is the browser developer committing to a business that its software has served to shut out, but the public benefit corporation may have found a revenue source to make it less dependent on Google Search payments.
Anonym, we're told, will operate as its own business unit within Mozilla. The company provides privacy-safe ad measurement, audience segmentation, and ad delivery optimization.
[18]Meta accused of trying to discredit ad researchers
[19]Mozilla defies Kremlin, restores banned Firefox add-ons in Russia
[20]Apple says if you want to ship your own iOS browser engine in EU, you need to be there
[21]Oh look, cracking down on Big Tech works. Brave, Firefox, Vivaldi surge on iOS
Asked whether Mozilla has any concerns that its user base, many ardent ad-blockers among them, will oppose Anonym, a spokesperson for the Firefox house told The Register advertising as a business model is what allows the internet to be free and open to everyone, though there's still room for improvement.
"Our vision is a web which empowers individuals to make informed choices without their privacy and security being compromised," the spinner said. "While there is no denying behavioral advertising is the underlying business model of the web today, it does not mean that it cannot be reformed to minimize its societal harms. With this acquisition, we have made a huge step forward in moving towards that vision."
While there is no denying behavioral advertising is the underlying business model of the web today, it does not mean that it cannot be reformed to minimize its societal harms
Garcia said, "It will be interesting to see how Anonym’s current and future ad offerings interact (or don’t) with Firefox – and the typically more privacy-conscious, advertising-avoidant users that tend to gravitate toward it. While the announcement doesn’t mention Firefox, the company has alluded to [22]potential partnership in the future ."
Moz's representatives had nothing to say about the approaches taken by other advertisers like Apple and Google, though they did elaborate on how Anonym works.
"Anonym allows advertisers to join their first party data to publisher data for the purpose of measurement, targeting and optimization, but the nature of their technology is that calculations occur in a private and secure environment where humans do not access the individual data, the outputs are private and anonymous, and all individual data and PII is destroyed after the calculations are complete," a rep told us. "Anonym does not see or retain individual data or build profiles."
Asked to whether the Anonym deal represents a new strategic direction for Mozilla, the representative replied, "Anonym’s approach helps to democratize privacy-centric advertising by offering an approach that levels the playing field and prevents a winner-take all internet. In that way, it provides a compelling competitive vision to those proposed by the dominant ad platforms today, where data is consolidated behind their already high garden walls and advertisers and consumers are asked to trust them that they are protecting privacy."
Garcia said that given Mozilla's work to advance tracking protection and the [23]positions they’ve taken about the need for regulatory interventions that limit first-party data sharing to promote competition, there's reason to be optimistic about the Anonym deal.
"The elephant in the room – and the opportunity – is how to solve for the industry-created problem that people don’t like and don’t trust advertising," said Garcia. "Privacy-enhancing tech doesn’t make creepy and disruptive ads less creepy or disruptive in the eyes of the average user. Building 'trusted execution environments' is one part of the equation. Regaining consumer trust is the bigger challenge at hand, and I look forward to seeing Mozilla’s plans to tackle it." ®
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[1] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZnIDi4y6-U8o14XHm6xFbgAAAQY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[2] https://stateof.mozilla.org/#privacy
[3] https://blog.mozilla.org/en/mozilla/mozilla-anonym-raising-the-bar-for-privacy-preserving-digital-advertising/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZnIDi4y6-U8o14XHm6xFbgAAAQY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZnIDi4y6-U8o14XHm6xFbgAAAQY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Capacity_Enhancement_Guide-Securing_Web_Browsers_and_Defending_Against_Malvertising_for_Federal_Agencies.pdf
[7] https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/products/
[8] https://developers.google.com/privacy-sandbox/3pcd
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZnIDi4y6-U8o14XHm6xFbgAAAQY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/13/oracle_online_ads/
[11] https://brave.com/blog/brave-search-ads-launch/
[12] https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/safari/
[13] https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2024/03/05/new-privacy-preserving-ads-api/
[14] https://checkmyads.org/
[15] https://www.anonymco.com/solutions#audiences
[16] https://blog.mozilla.org/netpolicy/2022/04/12/competition-should-not-be-weaponized-to-hobble-privacy-protections-on-the-open-web/
[17] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZnIDi4y6-U8o14XHm6xFbgAAAQY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/16/meta_ads_brazil/
[19] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/14/mozilla_firefox_russia/
[20] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/17/apple_browser_eu/
[21] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/14/brave_mozilla_europe_ios/
[22] https://www.adexchanger.com/privacy/mozilla-acquires-anonym-a-privacy-tech-startup-founded-by-two-top-former-meta-execs/
[23] https://blog.mozilla.org/netpolicy/2022/04/12/competition-should-not-be-weaponized-to-hobble-privacy-protections-on-the-open-web/
[24] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: If it looks like bullshit and smells like bullshit
I somewhat disagree with
> Privacy centric advertising is inherently self contradictory.
Billboards with paper on them don't track you (themselves, inherently - there are other ways to track who passes by them but that's not the billboard doing it)
Advertising can be done in a privacy-respecting way. It's just that advertisers choose not to do that because they have been conditioned to wanting meaningless analytics (and thinking they aren't meaningless).
A simple ad online that does not phone home or records its hits, is not impossible. It's just that there's a whole market now for selling people online. And so that market fights for its preservation with FUD.
On the side: I don't know a single person who actively likes advertising. At best (for the advertiser), they "reluctantly abide with prejudice".
There's not a thing in the world that doesn't get destroyed when it's touched by advertising!
Re: If it looks like bullshit and smells like bullshit
OK, I needed to be more precise : privacy centric *effective* advertising (as per the article) is inherently self contradictory.
True, with billboards it's possible to target people by sticking the bill board outside places where their target market will pass. Print or online ads can be placed in publication/sites or articles related to their products. Both will be more effective than randomly sticking the advert somewhere.
It's really unlikely this is what Mozilla is talking about though, isn't it? Sooner rather than later they'll want to target individual users rather than sites, and that requires breaching privacy.
Re: If it looks like bullshit and smells like bullshit
Why does advertising has to use personal information to be effective? Advertising has been around a lot longer than the ability to amass all this information, and I think the effect of personalized ads is overrated anyway.
Just by using Firefox, advertisers can infer something about the people they are advertising to. Non-personal information like whether they are running it on Windows, Linux or Mac and so forth can further supplement that.
They might not make as much they can make with Google/Facebook style privacy raping advertising, but as a non profit they only need to make enough to remain a going concern. They don't have to answer to shareholders who might vote out a CEO who doesn't rape privacy in exchange for bigger shareholder returns.
Re: If it looks like bullshit and smells like bullshit
"... they have been conditioned to wanting meaningless analytics (and thinking they aren't meaningless)."
Exactly this.
Re: If it looks like bullshit and smells like bullshit
To develop this a bit further: I don't think that those analytics are in any way different from voyeurism or vanity, plain and simple: I want to know who has seen "mine" so that I can make vacuous claims about the size of my membe^W audience, because quantity beats quality.
There's a reason advertiser networks don't get paid on commission of conversion via ads. It's because they know they don't work... If they really believed it worked, then they'd be willing to be paid on conversion.
Icon is the adman helping themselves to your wallet...
No search engine
Quick question, sort of relevant but a bit tenuous, I’ve often thought it’s a bit annoying that there’s no obvious easy way of setting up the address bar in Firefox so it doesn’t search. Why can’t we have it like in the old days, where a malformed url just goes nowhere? I know there’s a risk of malware from typo squatters but for most stuff I use bookmarks anyway and if I do press enter too quick when typing a url I’d rather see an error message than trigger a search query.
Any thoughts? Am I missing something?
Re: No search engine
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/search-suggestions-firefox
Re: No search engine
about:config
Create browser.urlbar.oneOffSearches (if it's not present) and set it to false.
keyword.enabled set it to false.
Could be more but it's past midnight over here and my memory is kinda sleepy.
"in the past few years have led to efforts to reconcile privacy and advertising, most notably Google's Privacy Sandbox, a set of notionally privacy-preserving ad technologies intended to take over from the intrusive data collection enabled by third-party cookies"
Nah. This is the marketing provided by Google. What it's really about it giving more control to Google. Remember they control the proprietary browser that most people use (not to mention all the other services they control), they can get whatever info the want without the need for those 3rd party cookies, but other ad serving providers wont.
" helps advertisers and ad networks measure how well online adverts are performing"
The results might come as a bit of a shock. At the very least the ad networks will want to keep the results from the mugs advertisers.
If it looks like bullshit and smells like bullshit
Privacy centric advertising is inherently self contradictory.
It's too much to expect that Mozilla could actually stop wasting money and just improve the browser, isn't it?
I'd suggest what people actually want is not so much privacy centric advertising, it's advertising that is small and unobtrusive (the old days of mini text adverts), doesn't slow down a site, and preferably doesn't track users.