The new report’s findings show that targeted advertising bans will deepen the digital divide in Europe.
Brussels, September 16th, 2021 – The Developers Alliance has announced its support for a new report published today, ‘The wider socio-economic and cultural value of targeted advertising in Europe’. The report details how a ban on targeted advertising would have a host of unintended consequences and hinder Europe’s efforts at creating a digital space fit for the future.
Authored by Dr Daniel Knapp, Chief Economist for IAB Europe, the empiric report highlights how advertising is a critical pillar of a free and open internet and that in order for online content and service providers to grow advertising revenue, targeting is essential. The report also discusses how targeted advertising is particularly important for Europe’s SMEs, many of whom were forced to shift to digital-only marketing strategies by COVID-19 restrictions, and who simply don’t have the budgets to pay for ads geared to general audiences. Finally, the ban would deepen the digital divide between European citizens who have the financial means to pay for quality news and those that don’t.
“Targeted advertising is a critical tool for developers and startups to stand out in a highly competitive market,” stated Karina Stan, Director of EU Policy and Head of Brussels Office of Developers Alliance. “The potential banning of targeted advertising is another example of Brussels hobbling European innovation and putting the continent at a disadvantage in the global race to succeed in the digital economy. This is something Europe simply cannot afford and we urge policymakers in Brussels not to implement such a blunt and potentially damaging proposal.”
The original release can be found here.
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About The Developers Alliance
The Developers Alliance is the world’s leading advocate for software developers and the companies invested in their success. Alliance members include industry leaders in consumer, enterprise, industrial, and emerging software development, and a global network of more than 70,000 developers.
