What to Know:
– Emails between executives at Google’s Ads, Chrome, and Search divisions have been uncovered, revealing a scheme to increase ad revenues.
– The emails show discussions about ways to make it harder for users to block ads and to increase the number of ads shown to users.
– The executives also discussed ways to make it more difficult for users to switch to competing search engines.
– The scheme was aimed at increasing ad revenues and maintaining Google’s dominance in the online advertising market.
The Full Story:
Emails between executives at Google’s Ads, Chrome, and Search divisions have been uncovered, revealing a scheme to increase ad revenues. The emails, which were obtained by The Markup through a public records request, show discussions about ways to make it harder for users to block ads and to increase the number of ads shown to users.
The emails reveal conversations between executives such as Philipp Schindler, Google’s Chief Business Officer, and Sridhar Ramaswamy, former Senior Vice President of Ads & Commerce. In one email exchange, Schindler discusses the idea of making it more difficult for users to block ads, stating that “we need to make sure we’re not giving users too many options to opt out of ads.”
The executives also discussed ways to make it more difficult for users to switch to competing search engines. In one email, Ramaswamy suggests that Google should make it harder for users to change their default search engine in Chrome, stating that “we should make it significantly harder for users to switch away from Google.”
The scheme outlined in the emails was aimed at increasing ad revenues and maintaining Google’s dominance in the online advertising market. The executives discussed strategies such as increasing the number of ads shown to users and making it harder for users to block or opt out of ads. These strategies would ultimately lead to higher ad revenues for Google.
The emails also reveal discussions about the potential impact of ad-blocking on Google’s ad revenues. In one email, Ramaswamy expresses concern about the growth of ad-blocking, stating that “ad-blocking is a real threat to our business.” The executives discuss ways to counteract the impact of ad-blocking, including the idea of paying ad-blocking companies to whitelist Google’s ads.
The revelations from these emails raise concerns about Google’s practices and its commitment to user privacy. By making it harder for users to block ads and switch to competing search engines, Google is effectively limiting user choice and control over their online experience. This goes against the principles of a free and open internet.
Google has faced scrutiny in the past for its dominance in the online advertising market. In 2019, the company was fined €1.49 billion by the European Commission for antitrust violations related to its advertising practices. These latest revelations further highlight the need for increased regulation and oversight of Google’s advertising practices.
In response to the leaked emails, Google has stated that the discussions were “brainstorming” and that the company has not implemented any of the ideas discussed. However, the fact that these discussions took place raises questions about Google’s commitment to user privacy and its practices in the online advertising market.
In conclusion, the uncovered emails between executives at Google’s Ads, Chrome, and Search divisions reveal a scheme to increase ad revenues by making it harder for users to block ads and switch to competing search engines. These revelations raise concerns about Google’s practices and its commitment to user privacy. Increased regulation and oversight of Google’s advertising practices may be necessary to ensure a fair and open online advertising market.
Original article: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-execs-scheme-to-increase-ad-revenues/497461/