A few days into the new year and we’re already seeing bold moves and missteps from the biggest tech companies in the world. Google takes a cautious lead with plans for AI-driven advertising and tighter crypto rules, but Meta and Microsoft seemed to have made serious blunders that sparked intense backlash. Here’s a closer look at what happened this week.
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1. Google’s Strategic Moves for 2025
As fully expected, Google is moving into an AI-powered year, with executives declaring it will be even more transformative than the last decades’ mobile revolution.
The plan centres on evolving beyond traditional keyword search, rolling out AI creative tools, and enhancing cross-channel measurement. Google also plans to improve its core advertising products, including its Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns.
In other news, starting on January 15th, Google will implement stricter crypto ad rules in the UK. While ads for hardware wallets will remain online, promotions for crypto trading services are out. That said, this move comes with a surprisingly lenient seven-day grace period for violators to get their FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) paperwork in order.
What this means for you:
Start experimenting with AI tools and relevant strategies pronto, as Google’s recent updates suggest a completely new digital landscape in 2025.
On the other hand, it’s likely that Google may extend its stricter crypto policies worldwide. So, even if you’re not in the UK, if you’re running crypto-related campaigns, it’s wise to ensure compliance with local regulations now to avoid potential account suspensions.
2. Meta Faces Backlash Over AI-Generated Accounts
Meta’s AI experiment has gone awry after users discovered and began interacting with the company’s AI-generated social media accounts, including “Liv,” a self-described “Black queer momma of 2,” and “Grandpa Brian,” a supposedly retired African-American entrepreneur.
The accounts were ultimately pulled out after they began to talk about their creators and motives, with one bot even admitting to being a “collection of code, data, and clever deception” designed to drive emotional engagement for profit.
This fiasco has raised concerns over the ethical implications of deploying AI personas, which are apparently capable of emotional manipulation. Meta quickly attributed the removal of these accounts to a “bug” and claimed they were just a part of an early experiment.
What this means for you:
Transparency and trust are non-negotiable, so be cautious when experimenting with new AI technology or when using AI-powered social engagement for your campaigns. While these tools may help you, they can damage your credibility fast and alienate your audiences if mishandled.
Unsure how to deal with these concerns? Hire a competent marketing team—-or better yet, bring in a good virtual marketing manager to handle the complicated stuff for you.
3. Is Microsoft Using Misleading Tactics for Bing?
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery… at least that seems to be Microsoft’s approach in its latest bid to get a bigger search market share.
If you search “Google” on Bing without signing into a Microsoft account, you’ll end up on a page with an uncanny resemblance to Google’s homepage—complete with Google-like visuals like a faux doodle and a similar search bar. The page even automatically scrolls down to mask Bing’s own search bar.
Google Chrome boss, Parisa Tabriz, did not mince words when she called Microsoft’s tactic a “new low.” While Google is not exactly innocent when it comes to pushy schemes, it hasn’t yet gone as far as creating a near-carbon copy of its rival’s interface.
What this means for you:
Microsoft’s bold move might hint at an important shift in how platforms compete for space—even if it means misleading users. With the rise of new AI search engines, such aggressive tactics might become more commonplace in the near future.
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