During his interview with Reuters, Rob Leathern DecemberPaulReuters described his plans to focus on consumer privacy and advertising integrity at Google. He is a former football and basketball player, and spearheaded Facebook’s political ad policy. He is also a member of Reuters’ Trust Principles.
Spearheaded Facebook’s Political Ad Policy
During the recent presidential election, Facebook’s ad policies have been the source of some controversy. Facebook has tried to be a gatekeeper, but some politicians took advantage of the company’s policy. Some of these politicians even ran fake advertisements on Facebook.
Facebook is not perfect, but they’ve done a better job at combating foreign interference in the U.S. election this year than they did in 2016. They’ve even taken steps to address the spread of misinformation. Unlike Twitter and YouTube, Facebook has no incentive to make it easier to lie to voters. Nevertheless, they’ve had to act after some high-profile scandals.
Spot Political Advertisements
The company has taken a hard line on political ads. They’ve introduced a verifiable verification system that should make it easier to spot political advertisements. Typically, users will be required to provide a verified identification, such as a government-issued ID. The verification process can take several days, but Facebook has said it will be ready to take on fake political ads.
Member of the Reuters Trust Principles
Reuters journalist Paul December is known for his reporting from countries all over the world. He has been with Reuters for more than 20 years. His experience will be helpful as the company moves forward.
The Reuters Trust Principles are fundamental to the company’s business. They include the preservation of integrity and the reliability of news. They also involve the development of the news business. These principles were adopted in 1941. Reuters has a constitution that limits individual shareholdings to 15 percent. However, the family holding company, the Thomson family, owns about 53% of Reuters.
Thomson Family
The directors of Leathern DecemberPaulReuters are responsible for ensuring that the company adheres to the Trust Principles. The Thomson family has given the directors assurances. However, the Newspaper Guild of the United States challenged Woodbridge’s exemption from the Reuters constitution. The directors of Reuters are determined to keep the Trust Principles in place.
The Founders Share Company was formed to hold the Founders Share in Reuters. The Founders Share is a golden share. The directors are granted voting rights attached to the Founders Share. However, the directors must exercise these rights with due regard to the Trust Principles.
Leathern DecemberPaulReuters has learned that Google plans to block some cookies in Chrome. This move is expected to allow Google to increase user privacy while also defending the company’s ad business. However, rivals in the advertising industry are concerned about the loss of a tool that allows advertisers to gather consumer data and the potential for users to be tracked and targeted. In addition, some agencies are concerned about Google’s plan to stop collecting data about people who visit their websites.
Justice Department
Reuters learned that the Justice Department is investigating Google’s business practices and is concerned about the company’s plan to block cookies. It has asked executives in the ad industry about their views of Google’s move. The department could also file a new lawsuit over ads. If it does so, it would be joining the case filed by attorneys general in Texas and other states.
Reuters’ Rob Leathern Is Leaving Facebook
Even though Rob Leathern is a senior vice president at Reuters, he’s also one of the most prominent faces at Facebook. He has been a vocal advocate for protecting consumer privacy. He is also the company’s official spokesperson on several issues.
Major Target of Critics
Leathern DecemberPaulReuters has been a significant target of critics because of his role in Facebook’s controversial political advertising policies. Among other issues, conservatives say Facebook muzzles their voices. They say Facebook is unnecessarily restricting the use of political ads. However, Facebook has said it’s improving tools for advertisers to handle first-party data.
Facebook’s controversial political ad policy has sparked endless debates online. Many conservatives argue that Facebook muzzles their voices and allows false claims to spread on the site. However, the company has also announced plans to improve transparency. It has also released 38 million URLs to researchers.
Data Privacy Policies
Facebook has also changed its data privacy policies. It recently announced it would stop using third-party cookies by 2020.
The company is also working to strengthen its privacy policies. It recently announced a subscription service that lets publishers charge for their content. It also plans to make more connections with professionals.
Final Words:
Facebook has also faced increasing scrutiny over its data practices. In July, Texas and nine other states filed lawsuits against the company and Google over the misuse of personal data. They’re also asking for more policing of political content.
Rob Leathern, the head of Facebook’s advertising integrity team, announced his departure on December 30. He will now work for Google to focus on consumer privacy issues. He has also co-founded a startup.
