These are the media mergers public interest advocates and those concerned about Internet freedom should be focused on. The big deals are about controlling the future of much of the digital world. Nearly $11 billion has recently been spent in “deal activity” notes Online Media Daily. One key issue is privacy–since the business model behind all these acquisitions is the sweeping up and targeted use of our data. Here’s what one marketing analyst wrote about these online ad mergers and its implications for our data-driven marketing world:
“Microsoft, Yahoo and Google each has huge databases of consumer and business names filled with profiles, preferences, opt-ins and online activity histories. Imagine integrating the data they hold with content they create or license to create turnkey 1-to-1 and one-to-many multi-channel digital communications streams. The possibilities are astounding, assuming they can get beyond their own internal politics and product silos and withstand increased anxiety about Big Brotherism.”
