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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Apple isn't the problem. Rather, the recent Safari blocking issue is a symptom of a much larger problem. When lawlessness bites - it bites hard. tinyurl.com/39f6mx87

tinyurl.com

The Open Web Can Be Downright Lawless

Perhaps Apple is just being prudent by taking over

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Good question - can anyone see this publicly? Looks that way to me...

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This exchange is must see TV - and is most certainly not legal advice. But might be the best example of "regulatory craic" I've seen in some time. Whether Johnny and I always agree on the solutions is besides the point. His diagnosis of the problem is spot on.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

And that lawlessness is not serving data subjects, publishers, advertisers, nor the adtech community. Witness apple's latest iOS27 "bug" (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) as it impacts the Trade Desk.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

@johnnyryan.bsky.social brings "the craic" to the @monopolyreport.bsky.social podcast. Dr. Ryan has a dim view of the current state of regulation in the ads space. I agree that there is a current sense of lawlessness - particularly in, but not exclusively in Europe.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Haha. Yeah but I also magnify text. Which does wonders for consent banners and seems to ensure the Amazon ai tool fires whether I like it or not.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I assume they were just trying to force their AI on customers like everybody else is. I think it's more difficult on the phone particularly somebody like me who has funky settings on their phone

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

It's way worse on the phone than it is on the desktop

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Here's my take on Infillion's acquisition of Foursquare: Brilliant move by Infillion, but it also exposes a huge flaw in the way privacy is regulated in the U.S. Privacy Law's Competition Problem. This week's @monopolyreport.bsky.social newsletter. monopoly-report.com/p/privacy-la...

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

It's a fun, thoughtful discussion that touches on a lot of topics. And Claire's book is a must-read for anyone in digital media circles. In this clip, Claire shares what happens when leaders get too powerful - I needed to clarify if Claire was referring to Mountain View or Washington, DC. (:

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Don't Be Evil: Bad Bosses, Fake Promises, and My Escape from Big Tech - get it here tinyurl.com/bdymufz8 We also compared notes a bit - and I gained some insights into Google operates on the inside which provides some perspective to some of the companies' outward positioning in policy circles.

tinyurl.com

Don't Be Evil: Bad Bosses, Fake Promises, and My Escape from Big Tech

Amazon.com: Don't Be Evil: Bad Bosses, Fake Promises, and My Escape from Big Tech (Audible Audio Edition): Claire Stapleton, Claire Stapleton, William Morrow: Books

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

"Don't Be Evil" has gone from promise to platitude to parody to the point where one may wonder: what does it mean? Claire Stapleton joins me on this week's The Monopoly Report podcast to share the back story on her best selling book: tinyurl.com/2s3jxpv6

tinyurl.com

Episode 83: Inside Google’s Culture, Power and the “Don’t Be Evil” mantra with Claire Stapleton

Claire Stapleton joins Alan Chapell to discuss her years inside Google, from shaping the company’s internal communications to helping organize the 2018 Google walkout. They explore the following from ...

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

You might need to do some digging but you can find info on the CalPrivacy enforcements and other stuff here - privacy.ca.gov/about-us/new...

privacy.ca.gov

Newsroom

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

PPPS - I prob should have made clear from the start that my focus was on CCPA / DELETE Act work. While most of that work comes from the folks at CalPrivacy, the CA OAG can enforce CCPA. Separately, OAG has done some great work in the privacy field as it pertains to cons protection, antitrust, etc

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Pls let me know if I've missed something. PS - someone suggested that the chart account for CalPrivacy's more recent audit work (e.g., against gig economy). Not sure how to visualize that here. PPS - someone else suggested that incorporate CIPA litigation, but that seems like its own ball of wax.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Outside of the enforcements against data brokers for failure to register, most of the enforcement activities skew towards companies with direct consumer relationships. I'll be very interesting to follow how this develops over time.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Here's a venn diagram that attempts to frame California's privacy approach over the past five years. A good deal of focus on creating rules for data brokers and adtechs. 1/3

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Reposted by Chapell

Megan Gray @megangray.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Great insight from @chapell68

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

I can't speak for others, but I feel like I've been heavily impacted by the MIC. Heck, how much has been spent on that over past 26 years alone?

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

It's remarkable how skilled Google is at making these types of arguments. I'm just wondering the degree to which regulators, judges and other policymakers might want to start comparing notes and triangulating Google's claims to ensure they really add up.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Or claiming that their use of PETs would enable Google to safely use virtually all data going through the Chrome browser for advertising purpose... while those same tools are somehow not safe enough to enable other ecosystem participants to avail themselves of the use of the data.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Whether it's saying that their receipt of data in the Spirit Air bankruptcy is privacy safe becaue it's been de-identified.... Or pushing back on the requirements of competition law because it's all but impossible for Google to render it safe enough that they can transfer it to rivals.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Google has mastered the Art of Regulatory Jiu-jitsu - using the momentum, weight, or complexity of existing regulations to its own advantage rather than fighting against them. Doing so requires that the company make very different arguments in different venues. monopoly-report.com/p/google-and...

monopoly-report.com

Google and the Art of Regulatory Jiu-Jitsu

Google is brilliant at arguing different things in different rooms

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

It's kind of amazing how good Google is at protecting data - and apparently how bad the rest of the world is....

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Over the past several years and in multiple venues, Google has assured us all that their use of privacy enhancing technologies will effectively protect privacy, eliminate the possibility of re-identification and make advertising better.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

In two separate antitrust/competition venues, Google is OBJECTING to the provision of search data to rivals - effectively stating that it's all but impossible to truly anonymize data.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

In a NY bankruptcy court, Google is about to purchase a trove of data from the Spirit Airlines bankruptcy. But don't worry they say, it's not personal data - it's been anonymized.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Is it possible for Google to share search data with rivals in a privacy-safe way? Google seems to believe the answer is a hard no! I welcome @alissacooper.bsky.social from KGI to discuss. Here's a quick overview - the episode drops on Wednesday Aug 5. This week's @monopolyreport.bsky.social

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Reposted by Chapell

Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

13 months of Google's search data is worth roughly 17 years of Bing's search data. That helps to explain why Google's search business is now under pressure from: the DOJ's antitrust remedy, the EU's Digital Markets Act, the UK's CMA, & the proposed US SEARCH Act. tinyurl.com/4czehcyy

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Now that Google is required to share its search data with competitors, the question turns to whether such sharing can be done in a way that is privacy safe. Google seems to think the answer is a hard "NO". @alissacooper.bsky.social is my guest on this week's @monopolyreport.bsky.social podcast.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Who likes cookie banners? Does anyone? The EU Commission was looking to get rid of them and turn Europe into a shining Utopia. But as legend has it, Google got in the way. monopoly-report.com/p/europe-hat...

monopoly-report.com

Europe Hates Cookie Banners

Here's why quitting EU cookie consents is complicated

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

I'm not here to pour cold water on the initiative. But I am here to say... we've been down this road before, and this is far more complicated than some would have you believe. This week's @monopolyreport.bsky.social CC: killthecookiebanner.eu, www.techpolicy.press/digital-omni...

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Advocates started a letter writing initiative - encouraging EU data subjects to ping EU Parliament and tell them to say "NO!" to Google & the ad industry. And just maybe, to encourage the creation of a multi-stakeholder process to let browser settings (e.g., GPC) work as a consent mechanism.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

monopoly-report.com

Europe Hates Cookie Banners

Here's why quitting EU cookie consents is complicated

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Who will be a part the working group? Politicians? Civil society? Regulators? EU only?

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

On thing im trying to better understand is the path to use gpc as an opt-in mechanism when by most accounts it seems to work best as an opt out mechanism.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Thanks for listening. I think it depends on how one defines self-reg. I don't see a return to self-reg circa 2017 for sure....

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

In this clip, I share my own thoughts about the current identity crisis within our industry trades and how we need to redefine self-reg around shared interests.

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Andy Dale is my guest this week on @monopolyreport.bsky.social podcast. We discuss some of the transition taking place in our industry trade bodies - and point to a more collaborative path forward for the trades. tinyurl.com/5xfaakuy

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

After spending 15 telling everyone that fingerprinting is horrible for privacy, Google is launching a set of fingerprinting tool in Europe. Chutzpah aside, it's a smart move.... tinyurl.com/42up24up

tinyurl.com

Google’s new use of IPs in Europe

Google’s “IP-based” measurement and personalization in Europe is a liability play

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Chapell @achapell.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Martin Thomson is a distinguished engineer at @mozilla.org and a key player in the @w3c.bsky.social Attribution Spec which is out for public comment. In this clip, I ask Martin whether some of the PETs being used are making a meaningful impact in the minds of consumers.

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