Panel SA: Digital advertising companies reinforce chorus against fake news project

Companies that grew with the advancement of digital advertising in recent years are articulating to increase the pressure of technology giants against the bill by the Chamber of Deputies that changes the rules of the sector and seeks to combat misinformation on the internet.

The IAB Brasil, an association whose members include the main platforms, large advertisers, agencies and communication groups, says that the project could make the business model of many agencies unfeasible.

For the group, the project will prevent the serving of ads aimed at consumers with targeted profiles by prohibiting the sharing of user data from networks with other companies. In 2020, digital advertising moved R$23 billion, of which 90% were for ads of this type.

Another article, which would force platforms to disclose information about political advertising on the networks, could expose tools used to target users who also serve other types of advertisements, which would jeopardize the commercial strategies of agencies and their clients, says IAB Brasil.

The group started this week gathering support for a petition against the project, approved Tuesday (7) by a working group created by the Chamber to discuss the text approved by the Senate in 2020. The proposal underwent several changes and was sent to vote in the plenary of the Chamber, which should only take place in 2022.

For Ivar Hartman, a professor at Insper who participated in debates about the project in the Chamber, devices such as those criticized by the agencies are essential to provide transparency to the platforms and prevent misuse of user data, and would help to avoid economic concentration in the sector.

With Ricardo Balthazar (interim), Andressa Motter e Ana Paula Branco.