Health Plans Must Cover Transgender Care, Fourth Cir. Says (2)

Two states’ health plans’ blanket coverage exclusions for gender-affirming care are unconstitutional, the full Fourth Circuit said Monday. A North Carolina state employee health plan violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause by refusing to pay for medically necessary gender-dysphoria treatments, a slim majority of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit said….

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Palantir is pitching ad agencies on its AI technology

Palantir, the controversial software company with ties to intelligence agencies, is turning to the agency world as part of its continued efforts to grow its commercial business. The company, which was co-founded by venture capitalist Peter Thiel, has pitched advertising agencies on utilizing its year-old AI platform AIP, according to two executives from different agencies…

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Google’s New Privacy Plan Has Flaws, Regulator Says in Internal Documents – WSJ

Google’s yearslong effort to make online advertising less invasive has hit another snag. The U.K. privacy regulator says Google’s proposed replacements for cookies need to do more to protect consumer privacy, according to internal documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Google’s proposed technology, dubbed Privacy Sandbox, leaves gaps that can be exploited to undermine privacy and identify users…

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Maria Cantwell wants a privacy law. She’s been one of its biggest obstacles. – The Washington Post

When Maria Cantwell first ran for the U.S. Senate, she championed what was then an unconventional political cause: internet privacy. “What you do on your computer should be your business, and no one else’s,” Cantwell, the dot-com millionaire and former U.S. House member, said in a 2000 campaign video that showed her huddled around a…

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Publishers turn to other platforms to address platform referral traffic issues – Digiday

Nine digital publishing execs that spoke with Digiday said they are investing in other social platforms like Instagram and TikTok to grow their reach. But the question remains if alternative platforms can actually make up the social referral deficit. As Digiday reported last year, those platforms do more for publishers trying to build up their…

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Brands Paid for Ads on Forbes.com. Some Ran on a Copycat Site Instead. – WSJ

Forbes for years ran an alternate version of its website where it packed ads that were intended to run on Forbes.com, another sign that brands don’t always get what they pay for in the opaque digital-advertising market. The alternate site, which Forbes shut down Tuesday following inquiries from The Wall Street Journal, featured stories from…

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G/O Media and Kotaku staff are locked in a battle for the gaming website’s soul and business – Digiday

Kotaku’s future is hanging in the balance. It hinges on whether the decades-popular online publication’s owner G/O Media succeeds in transforming it from a gaming news outlet to a hub for game guides — tips and walkthroughs to help gamers overcome tricky challenges. This strategic shift is a gamble for G/O Media, spurred by the…

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