ReportWire

Tag: advertisements

  • UK agency questions Meta’s policies for illegal gambling site ads

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    The UK Gambling Commission has raised concerns that Meta is ignoring advertisements by illegal gambling websites on its platforms. At a conference in Barcelona, the commission’s Executive Director Tim Miller criticized Meta’s behavior towards advertisements for online gambling on its Facebook and Instagram social networks.

    “Companies like Meta will tell you that they don’t tolerate the advertising of illegal sites and will remove them if they are notified about them,” Miller’s speech transcript reads. “But that approach suggests that they don’t know about those ads unless alerted. That is simply false.”

    Meta’s internal policy is that gambling sites must be licensed in the markets where their ads run. However, the agency was able to conduct basic searches for advertisers that are not on its GamStop platform, which helps people block themselves from accessing online gambling sites. GamStop integration is required for an operator to receive a UK license.

    “I would be very surprised if Meta, as one of the world’s largest tech companies is incapable of proactively using their own keyword facility to prevent the advertising of illegal gambling,” Miller said. “It could leave you with the impression they are quite happy to turn a blind eye and continue taking money from criminals and scammers until someone shouts about it.”

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    Anna Washenko

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  • Have No Fear, Google Has Plans to Enshittify AI Search With Ads, Too

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    Google’s AI Overview has somehow successfully managed to get people to be less engaged with search results, clicking through less often, and less likely to fact-check the information presented to them. So you know what that means: it’s time to monetize! According to a report from Search Engine Land, Google is planning to introduce advertisements inside its AI experiences.

    Per the report, Google Vice President of Search, Robbie Stein, said that he doesn’t see advertisements going away any time soon, and in fact expects that they will evolve to integrate into AI tools. Stein said the company has already “started some experiments on ads within AI Mode and within Google AI experiences,” and expects that “new and novel ad formats” will be introduced in the future so advertisers can continue to target users and give Google money for the right to do so.

    What are those “new and novel” formats, exactly? Stein floated one example of a person searching for information during a home remodel, in which a person could provide information to the AI-powered search, and it “could give even more fine-tuned recommendations or potential other services that you could consider, or deals that could be more useful to you.” So like…personalized and sponsored advertisements, but spit out by AI, apparently? It’s not entirely clear what is novel about that, other than the fact that the person searching will likely be less discerning about what sort of paid placements they are being exposed to. Of course, there’s always the possibility that your favored chatbot will collect even more detailed data about you, but that’s not really an innovation on the ad side of things.

    For now, the company insists that it’s focused on building “consumer products first and foremost,” but is obviously thinking about how to turn a profit on this thing that it has invested billions of dollars into developing. Stein also claimed that, for the time being, AI recommendations include “organic” results first and aren’t driven by ad inputs. Keep tabs on that to see how long that lasts.

    Gizmodo reached out to Google for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

    Google is far from the only company looking to figure out how to work advertisements into AI. Earlier this year, Netflix floated the idea that it might use generative AI to create advertisements that would play between shows for users on an ad-supported tier. Thus far, though, most of these efforts seem decidedly run-of-the-mill in terms of innovation. Maybe there just aren’t that many new ways to put products in front of people’s faces. The reality is that what Google is selling here isn’t necessarily a better experience for consumers—it’s just trying to reassure advertisers that, for all of its talk that everything is about to change, some things will decidedly stay the same.

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    AJ Dellinger

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  • Visit Philadelphia expands marketing reach with $9 million tourism campaign for 2026

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    Visit Philadelphia, the region’s tourism marketing agency, unveiled a $9 million advertising campaign Tuesday to promote a busy 2026 schedule of events that includes celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the World Cup, PGA Championship and MLB All-Star Game.  

    The effort, which includes around $4 million from the city, is nearly double the organization’s typical annual campaign budget and the additional funding will be used to reach a more national audience with TV commercials, billboards, print ads and social media influencers. 

    MORE: Philly’s 2026 plans include walking tours, block parties and Liberty Bell replicas

    Chief Marketing Officer Neil Frauenglass said Visit Philadelphia usually spends around $5 million on a campaign per year, with those funds focused on advertising in mid-Atlantic cities like New York, Washington and Baltimore. However, the influx of money has allowed the group to expand its campaign to Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and Miami. 

    “This is a really nice boost,” he said. “… Not only does it allow us to go wider in terms of inviting people to come during our big year, but it also allows us to learn about how people respond to messaging about Philly in these markets and could potentially open new markets for us in 2027 and beyond.” 

    Over 250 businesses and community groups — including the the Barnes Foundations and the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation — contributed to a social media push, posting the newly revealed 2026 logo on Tuesday.

    A Badge Builder tool was launched on the Visit Philadelphia website that allows users to customize their own version of the logo, which was inspired by William Penn’s original grid layout for the city. The personalized design can be shared on social media or printed and used as a window decal.

    “The badge is really a way to signal that something special is happening in 2026,” Frauenglass said. “All of the attractions, museums and restaurants throughout Philadelphia are welcome to use the badge.” 

    As a part of the larger marketing campaign, Frauenglass said a focus will be placed on social media influencers in Philadelphia and the other major markets being targeted.

    “Influencers are becoming much more prevalent in media plans,” he said. “They have incredible reach and it’s with audiences that are highly engaged.”

    A 60-second commercial titled “Anything But Silent” also debuted Tuesday, showing Philly as the the foundation of the United States in preparation for the semiquincentennial celebrations. The ad will be widely distributed outside of the agency’s usual scope, Frauenglass said. 

    “This commercial is about building awareness of Philadelphia’s historical significance and laying the foundation that we’re not celebrating for just one day — July Fourth,” he said. “Next year, we’ll be celebrating all year long.” 

    The campaign was announced less than a week after city officials unveiled a neighborhood-focused plan to incorporate walking tours and block parties into next year’s celebrations. In addition to appealing to a national audience, Frauenglass hopes the Visit Philadelphia campaign also resonates with locals.

    “It’s really to remind [residents] of how important Philadelphia is within our country,” he said. “We’re the birthplace of America. 2026 is a time worth staying here for and experiencing the city in a way that you never have.” 

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    Molly McVety

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