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Hi all, 

We are celebrating some big news!

The AI Moratorium — a proposal that would have blocked states from setting their own AI laws for the next decade — was overwhelmingly defeated and removed from the Senate’s budget reconciliation package in a near-unanimous vote (99-1).

Several of our partners worked tirelessly to help remove it from the Big Beautiful Bill. Their commitment to a fairer internet is driving real change.

Senator Marsha Blackburn’s decision to team up with Senator Cantwell to remove the moratorium came at a critical moment and showed that bipartisan cooperation, with a push from the public, can still move the needle. Thank you, Senator Blackburn! 

United and Tired of the Tracking

We’re proud to join Digital Fourth, Fight for the Future, and 6 other organizations, urging Massachusetts lawmakers to advance S.2516, the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act (MDPA), and S.197, the Location Shield Act (LSA).

Every time MA residents check the weather, browse the web, or search a medical question, their personal data (including precise location) is being collected, sold, and exploited. This goes far beyond a few shady apps. This constant, unchecked tracking and trade in our sensitive data is the norm, propping up the business models of many players in the digital advertising ecosystem.

We’re all being tracked — whether it’s where you go, what you click, or what you’re shopping for. We all need reasonable privacy protections, the kind MDPA would provide:

  1. Limiting what data companies can collect and use
  2. Defining what counts as sensitive personal data
  3. Banning the sale of sensitive data
  4. And much more...

 “We believe that the best protections for vulnerable groups are those that will strongly protect all Massachusetts residents.”

Massachusetts has the chance to lead the nation in data privacy. Advocates are urging lawmakers to act swiftly and bring MDPA to the floor — and in the case of the House, ensure a similarly substantial bill is introduced.

Check My (Ads) Policy Page

Last month, we launched our Policy Platform. Our platform is dedicated to breaking down five key policy solutions designed to tackle the hidden forces fueling online harm and to restore accountability across the digital ad ecosystem. We have laid out clear, bold solutions to bring accountability, transparency, and fairness back to the digital marketplace.

  • Common ownership prohibitions 

  • Know Your Customer (KYC) due diligence 

  • Best interest duties for adtech vendors 

  • Mandatory supply chain transparency 

  • Privacy-respecting ad practices 

The feedback we have received so far has been fantastic. We appreciate everyone who has engaged, shared insights, and helped us call out the adtech chaos. Your support is powering this movement!

Thoughts? Questions? Want to say hi to our policy powerhouses? Reach out to [email protected]. 

Google Oogles Over a Good PR Crisis

Google has finally removed XShorts, a top-five Play Store app – but only after an Adweek investigation revealed it was hosting “sexually suggestive and racially offensive content”, despite having a “Teen” rating.  

Major brands like Verizon, Shell, Amazon, and Microsoft had ads running on the app unknowingly. How did this happen? Because Google miscategorized it – and didn’t take action to reclassify or block inventory until ADWEEK reached out. 

Once again, Google waits for a PR crisis before enforcing its own rules. 

Meta's Model Isn't Cutting It

The EU Commission says Meta’s “pay or consent does not comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by forcing users to either pay or agree to personal data tracking, without offering a real, less-personalized alternative. 

Under the DMA, users must be given a choice that doesn’t punish them for protecting their privacy.  It’s time to evolve past monetizing personalized data as a business model. 

 

Onward, 

The Check My Ads Team 

Check My Ads in the Wild 🐾

🎤Claire spoke on the stage at the Sun Valley forum in Idaho. 

📣 Were you at the Global Media Forum in Germany this week? Claire was there too, speaking on the panel Newsroom Business Models and How to Make Them Sustainable.”

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Check My Ads Institute is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization.

Tax ID/EIN: 87-1895699

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Reach out to us at [email protected]

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