The Friday Five: Google demanded to sell Chrome, Direct mail most influential marketing channel in the UK election, and AI integration in the NHS.

Happy Friday everyone, and welcome to the latest edition of your favourite LinkedIn newsletter- The Friday Five.?

Before you head into the weekend, it’s time to find out more about this week’s top marketing and tech news stories.?

Today we’re looking at why Meta is being fined by the EU Commission, the possibility of under-16s being banned from social media in the UK, and how AI integration in the NHS could reduce waiting times.

Let's get started, shall we?

1. European Commission fines Meta ￡664m for breaking competition law

The EU Commission has fined Meta €798M (￡664 million), for embedding ads for its service Facebook Marketplace into social media feeds, and therefore breaking Competition Law.

The European Commission has stated that this has caused ‘unfair trading conditions’ for alternative ad services that use Meta as a platform.

However, Meta has rejected the Commission's findings adding that they had provided "no evidence" of harm either to competitors or consumers, and plans to appeal.

The ruling is the result of an investigation that the Commission opened in 2021 after Meta's rivals complained that Facebook Marketplace gave it an unfair advantage. This is one of many decisions as regulators are increasingly taking a firmer stance with big tech companies worldwide.

Read more at BBC News.

2. Direct mail has the biggest influence on voters in the 2024 UK election

A study carried out by mail marketing experts, Marketreach and Thinks Insight & Strategy, found that 27% of respondents cited direct mail as the ‘most influential’ in their decision-making process, compared to 24% for TV and 18% for social media.

The study also challenges the typical notion that digital advertising is one of the best channels to target a younger demographic.? Especially when 81% of 18 to 24-year-olds engaged with mail during the election run-up, more than social media (72%) and online advertising (64%).

This could be due to the level of trust voters have for the medium with only 20% of respondents associating direct mail with misleading or inaccurate information, compared to 34% for social media. The report also suggests that the physical mail creates a direct and emotional connection.

See more at Marketing Beat.

3. Google told to sell Chrome in lawsuit aiming to end search monopoly

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has demanded Google sell Chrome, as part of a series of remedies aimed at stopping the tech giant from maintaining its monopoly in online search.

They also want to force Google to stop entering into contracts with companies like Apple and Meta where there is an agreement to make Google the default search engine.?

Kent Walker, president of global affairs at Google has said "It would break a range of Google products - even beyond Search - that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives."

This demand comes as part of a wider anti-competition ruling held in August. However, Google is expected to counter with its own proposed remedies by 20th December, with a judge then set to issue a decision by the summer of 2025.

See more on this from the BBC News.

4. UK Government open to banning under 16s from social media

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has put child safety at the top of the priorities for enforcement of the Online Safety Act? (OSA), which Parliament passed last year.

In partnership with OfCom, enforcement of age verification technology could be seen as soon as January, with large tech firms facing fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover if they fail to meet this minimum duty of care.

When asked if he would consider a social media ban for under 16s, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle responded “Everything is on the table with me”.

Read more on what Peter Kyle had to say via TechCrunch.

5. Meta’s Llama impact hackathon showcases the ability of AI to transform NHS waiting times.

Many countries are exploring how artificial intelligence can improve their healthcare systems, with the UK being one of them.?

Following a successful showcase at the UK Llama Impact Hackathon Meta is pushing for the integration of its Llama AI model into UK healthcare services.

The demonstration showed the potential of open-source AI to drive positive social impact in the UK, with technology aimed at shortening NHS A&E waiting times.

The UK Minister for AI Feryal Clark said: “It was inspiring to be at Meta and discuss how open source AI can be harnessed for public benefit”.

However, there are also challenges such as data privacy, trust in the technology, and proper training, which must be addressed to ensure successful integration into the NHS.

Read more about the risks and benefits at The Guardian.

That's it for this week’s marketing news stories.

Be sure to tune in to next week's Friday Five, where we will be back with the latest new stories for all things marketing and tech.

In the meantime, have a great weekend!