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Long Read

Decoding vertical tech integrations: why do they matter?

From the Amazon rainforests to subsaharan Africa, tech companies seek to expand their dominance by investing in connectivity infrastructure. While this has certainly brought some benefits, it also raises concerns about big tech's expansion into new territories.

Press release

UK Tribunal agrees that Meta’s acquisition of GIPHY harms competition

On 14 June 2022, the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) upheld the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) assessment that Meta’s purchase of GIPHY harms competition. On 18 October 2022, the CMA confirmed its order for Meta to sell GIPHY, citing risks over users' data quoting among the key competition concerns.

Guide step

A guide to getting your data from Facebook app

Your Facebook app stores a lot of information in the cloud. Here we show you how to gain access to it.

Press release

UK competition authority demands that Facebook sells Giphy, citing risks over users' data

Today, following an in-depth investigation, the UK Competition and Market Authority (CMA) assessed that the competition concerns can only be addressed by Facebook selling Giphy in its entirety.

News & Analysis

Four friends looking down a road with their arms around each other.

To Reduce Facebook’s Harms to Teens, Target its Data-Hungry Business Model

Companies like Instagram want to understand who we are. But their extensive and invasive data collection is having devastating consequences.

Whole of AdTech industry taken to court in Germany after European regulators fail to take action

15 Jun 2021

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has filed a lawsuit in Hamburg against three AdTech industry trade bodies including the Interactive Avertising Bureau (IAB). Members of the IAB include big tech companies (Google, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter...), data brokers (Equifax, Experian, Acxiom...)

Advocacy

Giorgi Balakhadze (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license)

Submissions to the Australian and UK competition authorities on the Facebook/Giphy merger

On 24 February and 1 March 2021 respectively, PI made submissions to the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), commenting on Facebook's acquisition of Giphy.

Advocacy

Open Letter to Facebook and Google

Privacy International is part of a 60+ coalition calling on Facebook and Google to provide equal and better transparency regarding political advertising on their platforms globally.

Video

The regulation of online political ads in Indonesia

PI spoke to partner ELSAM about their research on the regulation of online political ads in Brazil, obstacles to online ads transparency, and coming challenges.

Video

Regulamentação de propaganda política online no Brasil

A PI conversou com o diretor do InternetLab Francisco Brito Cruz sobre a regulamentação da propaganda política online no Brasil, obstáculos à transparência da propaganda online e desafios futuros.

Video

The regulation of online political ads in Brazil

PI spoke to partner InternetLab about their research on the regulation of online political ads in Brazil, obstacles to online ads transparency, and coming challenges.

News & Analysis

World map indicating countries where mandatory transparency tools apply

Online political ads - a study of inequality in transparency standards

In its new report, PI looks into the implementation of transparency tools by Facebook, Google and Twitter in relation to political advertising. This work was produced in collaboration with partner organisations InternetLab and ELSAM.

News & Analysis

Street art portrait on a wall with a caption "they know it's me"

Facebook response on advertising: A failure to acknowledge responsibility

Following our investigation into advertisers on Facebook and the exposure of the platform shortcomings, Facebook's response is a failure to acknowledge its responsibility in ensuring transparency and enabling people to exercise their rights. Here is our point by point analysis of their answer

Key Resources

A guide for migrants and asylum rights organisations about privacy settings

This guide is for anyone concerned about their social media accounts being monitored by public authorities, but it’s especially targeted at people from minority and migrant communities who may be disproportionately affected by various forms of surveillance.

Video

The complex data environment in online political campaigning

There is increasing awareness about micro-targeting in digital campaigning. PI spoke to Dr Kate Dommett about this growing phenomenon, and the types of data used when targeting users with political ads.

Guide step

Facebook - Third-party Apps

Over years of using Facebook, you've probably given several apps permission to access your data stored on the platform. It's important to have control over who you want having access to your data - this is bigger than just having access to your profile. In this guide we will look into how to manage third-party apps' access to your Facebook profile and vice-versa.