Today in Digital Marketing - The ChatGPT Extension Stealing Facebook Ad Accounts

Starting point is 00:00:00 It's Monday, April 17th. Today, Google in panic as the company rushes to push out its AI-based search engine update. Meta tries seducing marketers with discounts. Fake GPT extensions are now hacking into Facebook ad accounts. And Reddit cozies up to ad agencies. I'm Todd Maffin. That's ahead, today in Digital Marketing. Who'd have ever thought we'd be here and so fast too, that Google, the dominant search engine of a generation, would be so under attack by a new technology that major partners are considering bailing out. Partners like Samsung, which is reported to be

Starting point is 00:00:38 considering Google as the default search engine on its phones, replacing it with arch nemesis Bing. This is why Google internally declared a code red some months ago to keep up with chat GPT and Bing, which embraced the AI technology early and has already integrated it into their search results page. So now Google, a little behind the pack, is expected to release new AI powered search tools next month. The New York Times reported yesterday that the new tools, currently being developed under the codename Magi, will initially be available to select users in the U.S. and will likely build on the conversational capabilities of Google's BARD chatbot. It's not yet clear what the tools will offer.

Starting point is 00:01:20 If Samsung holds true to its threat, the move could cost Google $3 billion in annual revenue. But no one's really clear how serious Samsung is about the idea. The Times also noted that Google is planning a major rebuild of its search engine. No clear timeline for that algorithm release. Also not clear how any of this affects any of us as marketers. We've already seen Bing testing incorporating ads into the responses its chatbot gives. Will we soon be able to provide our brand's materials so that AI can train on it?

Starting point is 00:01:51 Or maybe the opposite. We'll be filing cease and desist orders against image generators that take our logos and turn them into horrible creations. Watch this space. As Google devises radical search changes Watch this space. Meta's sales team is no longer demanding that ad agencies commit to increases in spending of 20% or more, as they have in the past. Instead, they're content with spending staying level with last year, according to industry sources. And to sweeten the deal, Meta is offering discounts of up to 25% for those willing to test different ad products on its TikTok rival feature, Reels. In its pivot away from the metaverse, Meta's salespeople are now pitching advertisers

Starting point is 00:02:47 on its AI-powered ad delivery and measurement tools. As part of its new approach, sales staff are also reportedly paying closer attention to what advertisers are spending by checking in with agencies more regularly. Meta has forecast that its first quarter revenue, primarily from advertising, will be either up 2% or down 6% year over year.

Starting point is 00:03:10 The company is set to report those first quarter earnings next week. I know, I know they look tempting. Chat GPT browsers that promise to rewrite your copy or help you write that email to a client or make an on-brand image of smiling people. But those extensions may be hazardous to your meta ad account. A recent report by researchers at cybersecurity platform CyberAngel warns that such extensions have already compromised thousands of corporate Facebook accounts, stealing sensitive data like login credentials and credit card information. The researchers found an exposed database containing stolen personal information collected from a fake chat GPT browser extension loaded with InfoStealer malware, which collects data

Starting point is 00:03:56 stored in someone's browser. Although the report declined to disclose the specific fake GPT browser extension that was the source, confirmed that it was available for Chrome. The stolen database contained more than 4 million login credentials from both personal and corporate accounts, but the hackers seem to only target Facebook credentials. According to the report, the hackers have obtained the credentials belonging to 40,000 users and are using the information

Starting point is 00:04:23 to take over meta accounts by changing account details, names, and photos. While the Chrome extension has been removed from the Play Store, the database had login credentials for 6,000 corporate accounts and even 7,000 VPN accounts. Do you have business insurance? If not, how would you pay to recover from a cyber attack, fire damage, theft, or a lawsuit? No business or profession is risk-free. Without insurance, your assets are at risk from major financial losses, data breaches, and natural disasters.

Starting point is 00:05:05 Get customized coverage today starting at $19 per month at zensurance.com. Be protected. Be Zen. Reddit is making another push to win over a piece of your ad budget, this time by partnering with major media agencies. Its latest campaign will bring independent agencies into the fold while making its ad offerings more on par with its competitors. Last week, the company announced partnerships with Horizon Media, PMG, and Wpromote, as well as the expansion of its existing partnership with Tenuity. In a bid to woo independent agencies, Reddit is offering advertisers incentives, including

Starting point is 00:05:36 access to new ad product tests and enhanced measurement tools. Advertisers will also have access to Reddit's Karma Lab, the platform's in-house creative agency, to build campaigns for disruptor and challenger brands. The move comes as Reddit has reportedly increased ad revenue by 40% to $424 million in 2022 compared with the previous year, with a similar growth rate expected this year, according to data from Statistica. Google announced the latest upgrades to Search Ads 360 today and is reminding advertisers to switch to the new platform before the previous version is shut down in April of next year. The new features include improved support for Google Ads, Microsoft advertising, Yahoo Japan, as well as access to Google ads features like

Starting point is 00:06:25 auction insights and discovery ads. The platform also includes templates for automated campaign building, Looker Studio for customizable dashboards, and improved billing support. Performance Center is another advanced budget management tool only available in the new Search Ads 360 with capabilities like forecasting and planning across multiple campaign groups. Most advertisers can schedule upgrades to the new Search Ads 360 now, but access to the previous Search Ads 360 is expected to remain available until next year. But as the company prepares to axe the product, some features are expected to be phased out

Starting point is 00:07:03 in the coming months. Don't forget, if you've got a marketing position you're trying to fill, or maybe you're looking for that next great gig, consider a classified ad right here. It's just 20 bucks. You can book it online, link in the show notes, or go to todayindigital.com slash classified. That's it for today. See you tomorrow.

Today in Digital Marketing - The ChatGPT Extension Stealing Facebook Ad Accounts

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