"(Bloomberg/Josh Sisco and Leah Nylen) The US Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google misled advertisers that place ads on their websites, according to people familiar with the matter. The investigations, which are being conducted by the agency's consumer protection unit, focus on whether the companies properly disclosed the terms and pricing for ads, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing a confidential matter."
"Real-Time Auctions Google sells search ads via automated auctions that take place in less than a second after a user enters a query. Amazon also hosts real-time auctions that place ads within its listings, sometimes known as sponsored listings or sponsored ads that users see when they search for specific products. The FTC is seeking details about Amazon's auctions and whether it disclosed reserve pricing for some search ads price floors that advertisers must meet before they can buy an ad, the people said."
"Separately, the FTC is examining practices by Google, including its internal pricing process and whether it increased the cost of ads in ways that weren't disclosed to advertisers, the people said. The investigations are ongoing, the people said, and show that scrutiny of some of the US's largest companies continues under the Trump administration. Trump's FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson has said scrutiny of the technology sector is his highest prority. The FTC and Google declined to comment. Amazon didn't respond to requests for comment."
The US Federal Trade Commission's consumer protection unit is probing whether Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google properly disclosed terms and pricing to advertisers. The investigations focus on Amazon's real-time auctions and whether reserve pricing or price floors were disclosed, and on Google's internal pricing process and any undisclosed cost increases to advertisers. Google sells search ads via automated auctions in under a second and Amazon places sponsored listings within product searches. The probes are ongoing, occur amid broader scrutiny of big tech, and reflect FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson's stated priority on examining the technology sector.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]