Google to Revamp Ad Policies After Brands Boycott

Google

Bloomberg:

The U.S. company said in a blog post Friday it would give clients more control over where their ads appear on both YouTube, the video-sharing service it owns, and the Google Display Network, which posts advertising to third-party websites.

The announcement came after the U.K. government and the Guardian newspaper pulled ads from the video site, stepping up pressure on YouTube to police content on its platform.

France’s Havas SA, the world’s sixth-largest advertising and marketing company, pulled its U.K. clients’ ads from Google and YouTube on Friday after failing to get assurances from Google that the ads wouldn’t appear next to offensive material. Those clients include wireless carrier O2, Royal Mail Plc, government-owned British Broadcasting Corp., Domino’s Pizza and Hyundai Kia, Havas said in a statement.

YouTube Responds to Criticism of LGBTQ+ Video Blocking

YouTube

The Verge:

YouTube has released a statement in response to accusations that it is discriminating against its LGBTQ users by hiding certain videos in its Restricted Mode. The company issued the statement on Sunday night, after several popular LGBTQ vloggers and video creators, discovered that videos on topics such as dating, attraction, and inspiration had been hidden by default in the mode. Many led criticism against the company using the #YouTubeIsOverParty hashtag on Twitter.

Tegan and Sara have been very vocal about this issue on Twitter.

‘Beauty and the Beast’ Has Huge Weekend Opening

Disney

The live-action Beauty and the Beast had a monster opening this weekend:

Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast has delivered a film the size of a summer blockbuster in the month of March, debuting with not only a record-setting March opening weekend, but the seventh largest domestic opening of all-time as Disney now owns six of the top seven opening weekends of all-time.

Seems like that whole boycott thing is going well.

Chuck Berry Passes Away

Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry has passed away:

Chuck Berry, who with his indelible guitar licks, brash self-confidence and memorable songs about cars, girls and wild dance parties did as much as anyone to define rock ’n’ roll’s potential and attitude in its early years, died on Saturday at his home near Wentzville, Mo. He was 90.

His family has announced that his new studio album will still be released.