🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

The complaint sits within a wider EU push against digital scams

• The complaints came after the European Commission sent formal requests for information to Apple, Booking.com, Google, and Microsoft about how they handle financial scam risks 1.
• The Commission is examining fraudulent apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play, plus scam links and ads on Bing and Google Search 1.
• Consumer groups say scam ads left online may reach more than 200 million people in Europe each month, which makes the scale of the issue clear 2.

The complaint could bring more openness across the ad tech chain

• The move adds pressure across the online ad market, including companies beyond the largest platforms 3.
• Under the Digital Services Act, the EU wants voluntary codes of conduct for online advertising by 18 February 2025, with use starting by 18 August 2025, to make ad placement clearer 3.
• These lapses may speed up calls for stricter identity checks across ad intermediaries, including smaller firms that place or target ads. That could spread “Know Your Business Customer” rules, which require companies to verify business clients, through the full chain 3.