The search giant's dramatic announcement has managed to stir up a storm in the advertising industry • "The company is responding to global criticism. This is not an economic suicide" • What is behind the move?
We checked
Photo:
Photo: AFP
revolution? Not so fast:
Yesterday (Wednesday) Google shook the world of advertising
when it announced
that it will no longer develop technologies for monitoring surfers as they move from site to site on the web, and will stop offering ads based on users' browsing history in Chrome browser.
Over the years, Google's method has drawn sharp criticism from those fighting for the right to privacy, as the technology has helped advertisers target advertisements to websites they visit, and know which sponsored ads have persuaded them to make purchases based on searches and clicks.
"We make it clear that once the use of third-party cookies is stopped, we will not create alternative monitoring tools to track people while browsing the web, nor will they use our products," said David Temkin, Google Product Manager leading the change, in an official blog The company.
As of the end of 2020, Google controls 52% of the advertising market, and since that announcement many in the industry fear severe damage to revenue - something the company is sure to have taken into account.
How much will the search giant's move change the world of advertising?
We asked experts.
Image gain is more important
Dr. Yaniv Levitan, an expert in information warfare from the University of Haifa, explains that for the search giant this is only a minor blow: "Google was the most groundbreaking company in the field of digital marketing, they were the first to create the formula for pay per click and they also knew how to put advertisements in the head. A search result in relation to a leading word in the question of the surfer. "
"It's like instead of passing by a sign advertising a car sale, I get messages about car sales if I ask something on the web in their car search engine. That was the beginning of the process, but they upgraded the capability and created a resale move, ie if I go to the site "Certain shopping, this site will then be able to push me further with results related to what I was looking for."
"This is what is called cookies or coconuts," explains Dr. Leviathan. "It makes it possible to track and provide information about me to any person and any company you request and it was already a real invasion of privacy.
There were a lot of lawsuits about it, and Google and Facebook also caught fire in Australia because of a similar process. "
Now, Dr. Leviathan explains that Google has decided that for the sake of image profit it is worth giving up the profit from the targeted ads. "To avoid this harsh criticism and the allegations of invasion of privacy of surfers Google only eliminates the cookie business.
"Still, when we look for something, we will have sponsored results that will show us advertisements and related results, and this is what the vast majority of people accept and even want," Dr. Leviathan emphasizes.
"I definitely want when I'm looking for a car to read ads in this area. The fact that we do not want this information to be traded afterwards and companies will push me ads based on my entry into sites and things I have done in the past and that Google is definitely taking down right now. "Prevents the company from making claims and allegations of invasion of privacy only. In other words, there will still be very attractive and sophisticated advertising and therefore there is not too much harm to the company here."
Google will still make a fortune from advertising
Keren Elazari, a researcher and lecturer at the Tel Aviv University Cyber Center, explains that the king means that the advertisements will still be displayed - but they will not be based on specific surfing data of the surfers.
Therefore, it is not an economic suicide or a particularly major injury.
According to her, it should be remembered that Google still has a variety of many and varied sources of income.
"It has almost monopolistic control over the search world - businesses will still pay and invest (and a lot) to appear on Google in attractive places. "On other sites, such as Facebook. I think this move comes as a response to the mood of the public who feel that the technology giants know too much about us."
On the other hand, according to Dr. Harel Mansheri, head of the cyber field at the Holon Institute of Technology HIT and formerly one of the founders of the GSS 'cyber network, this is actually a revolution.
"There will be no more intrusion into the privacy of surfers. Google is responding here to the global criticism that intensified after the 2016 US election and after its and Facebook's confrontation with Australia."
"This is a complete revolution and it is also possible that some of the new services that Google will develop will be paid for because you have to make a living and if it is not possible to cut information exactly as now, the company will need additional profit channels and I expect search features that only those who pay can use or other conditions. In the meantime, I'm also curious to see what Google will do. "
