A completely unbalanced relationship between platforms and publishers

[Shishirgano9]

All (or almost all) online advertising is done in a "programmatic" manner . That is to say, the advertising system is managed by an automatic process using very precise targeting criteria thanks to all the data collected by the platforms on users . However, it is very complex to understand the precise functioning of this method, where the financial transactions between the different players in the chain are very opaque. A publisher has a lot of trouble knowing the exact amount he receives compared to the money initially invested by an advertiser. According to various studies, the opacity and multiplicity of players have become such that the income is necessarily cut (much more than in a classic advertising system) to the detriment of publishers.

The report notes a quasi-monopoly situation on the part belgium mobile database of the platforms over the entire online advertising production chain . This dominant position over the entire value chain only strengthens the negotiating power of the platforms in relation to other players.


The potential change in algorithms of the platforms, which they control, is also a source of concern for publishers, as their economic model depends on it. They paid the price in January 2018 following the change in Facebook's algorithm .