Google, Apple, Meta, Microsoft/Open AI, - The Four Companies that are Taking and Devaluing the Content Publishers Create that Power the Open Internet

It appears that these companies39 Generative AI approach involves leveraging content created by content creators and employing it for direct competition with said creators This move will drive users to spend more time inside their walled gardens and siphons traffic away from publishers Google39s announcements at their recent IO conference shows how serious they are about answering all user questions on googlecom and not sending any traffic to creators in the future Generative AI as envisioned by the tech giants takes audiences from content creators and gives nothing in returnPrivacy has been wielded as a cudgel by these companies occasionally battering each other as with Apple39s ATT crushing Meta39s targeting but more and more being focused on cementing the dominance of their firstparty data As they purely at their own whim degrade or remove functionality like cookies and app IDs that allow third parties to assist nontech giants they cut more and more into the slim revenue margins of most news and lifestyle publishers Privacy as designed by the tech giants like Generative AI takes revenue from content creators and gives nothing in returnThe technological advancements and engineering prowess of these four corporations is clear And there is no argument to be had about their amazing innovative power that has transformed the modern world But their businesses have been built on the backs of publishers and content creators and would be much less consequential without the valuable contributions of publishers on the Open Internet without content the tech giants have no businessThe internet advertising landscape has undergone several transformations over time Initially Google and Meta built their businesses on the strength of publishers and their content However Apple39s Safari browser devalued publisher content leading to a shift in ad spending The most recent disruption is the introduction of Generative AI by OpenAIChat GPT which not only devalued content but also took content without payment to those that produce it These changes have had a profound impact on the advertising industry and continue to shape its futureWithout any intention to complain I am merely presenting the publishercentric perspective of the situation as I see it from a highlevel view similar to what I have done previously with my extinction level event missive published in AprilIt has become increasingly evident that these companies may be doing what they are doing unlawfully This situation must be addressed and stopped This is most likely not amp8220fair useamp8221 a defense that allows limited use of copyrighted material without the copyright owner39s permission for certain purposes Is this stealing Do we need a few more lawsuits against these four companies Should these companies be broken up I am not a lawyer just a humble agent of truth who detects patterns in the ecosystemHere are some details about these companies that are impacting publishers in order of how severely they are doing soGoogle 90 search monopoly and now GeminiquotAI Overviewsquot soon there will be no need to ever leave the Google homepage Google is acting like a monopoly when dealing with publishers Additionally they have maintained a 90 share of the publisher ad server market and operate the largest ad exchange DSP web browser analytics platform mobile app ecosystem and more Their Privacy Sandbox launch in Q1 2025 will likely diminish even further publishers39 programmatic CPMs on Chrome So far very little advertiser experimentation has occurred which is very disappointingApple Removing identity in the Safari browser and now threatening to remove ads in Safari crushing publishers ability to monetize their professionally produced content In an era where cookies are diminishing marketers must embrace new strategies to measure and optimize advertiser performance Unfortunately Apple Safari inventory is valuable but is not treated that way by the advertising communityMeta LLAMA the Facebook LLM also misappropriated publisher content It is Ironic that Facebook stopped promoting publisher content especially news and is pulling news out of Canada when it is using the content to build its LLMsMicrosoftOpen AI Given Microsoft39s significant investment of billions into Open AI I am operating under the assumption that these two entities essentially function as a single company Chat GPT is misappropriating content and the instigator that is pushing Google engineers to actually work after a decade of complacency Yes they have completed a few LLM deals with publishers but they are acting like a monopoly with Microsoft behind them While innovation is inevitable it needs to be fairAmazon is noticeably absent from this directory Their racket is charging hefty fees and wielding monopolistic practices in the ecommerce realm that pose significant challenges for smaller merchants The topic for an entirely different postTrade Desk may also require a dedicated and separate post to provide comprehensive coverage as they are pushing the industry to only buy authenticated users on the Open Internet which they now call the Premium Internet Identity does not have to have an email address attached to it Contextual does work try itThe relentless pursuit of growth driven by the need to satisfy shareholders is not a sign of malevolence but rather a common strategy in the corporate world It is likely that any company in a similar situation would prioritize growth above other considerationsI can go into more detail but that just dilutes my simple message This needs to be said and it needs to STOPMy favorite phrase is amp8220The publishers of the Open Internet make the content that powers the conversation the LLMs and Searchamp8221 It encapsulates the importance of Open Internet publishers in creating the content that drives conversations language models and search This phrase effectively highlights the crucial role of Open Internet publishers in shaping the digital worldPublishers have also made some poor decisions in recent years such as content arbitrage increasing the number of ads per page and adjusting the refresh rate to name a few While these tactics may be seen as questionable they were implemented as a necessary response to the financial challenges faced by the industry Publishers have been subjected to misappropriation and other forms of exploitation making it imperative for them to adopt these measures to sustain their revenue and continue producing highquality content Essentially these four companies have compelled publishers to engage in questionable practicesThis is a publisher tragedy of the commons a situation in which individuals publishers with access to a public resource in this case the web also called a common act in their own interest and in doing so ultimately deplete the resourceMy aspiration is to inspire publishers to incorporate the message into their marketing communications While this may seem an ambitious vision I am a firm believer in the power of bold ideas and the transformative impact they can haveWhile it may not be entirely flawless I believe it39s generally accurate and it39s imperative that this message is disseminatedamp8220We are the publishers that create the content that powers the Open Internet stop taking from us and devaluing our contentamp8221In an endeavor to ignite a transformative revolution within the Open Internet publisher community I strive to evoke a sense of urgency and institute a paradigm shift that will revitalize the industryIn previous iterations I used the term amp8220stealing theft and guiltyamp8221 which I realized might have been a bit too strong I donamp8217t want to get a ceaseanddesist order so I brought down my tone as I want to continue helping publishers in their fightLastly every other Friday I host a Zoom discussion specifically for experienced individuals to delve into this topic with representatives from publisher and Ad Tech companies At times it even resembles a form of therapeutic dialogue Interested individuals are welcome to join It39s a bringyourbestgame situation and active participation is expected Unfortunately passive attendees will be weeded out I understand that not everyone is equipped to contribute but I hope we can collectively solve this problem I would like to invite individuals from the four companies I mentioned to participate as well as agency and marketer representatives Crossecosystem collaboration is crucial facilitating the generation of fresh ideas Publishers need to talk to agency and marketer representatives with one voicePosted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership selfpublishing platformClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageorgMyersBizNet

Click to Make Your 2025 Contribution to Support the MediaVillage Education Foundation

Google, Apple, Meta, Microsoft/Open AI, - The Four Companies that are Taking and Devaluing the Content Publishers Create that Power the Open Internet

Author

Publish date

Channel

Matthew S. Goldstein

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

More Videos:

Click to Make Your 2025 Contribution to Support the MediaVillage Education Foundation

Google, Apple, Meta, Microsoft/Open AI, - The Four Companies that are Taking and Devaluing the Content Publishers Create that Power the Open Internet

Enjoying This Commentary? There's More to Love

Matthew S. Goldstein

TAGS:

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

The payment was successful

Cookies