A report says Criteo must convince investors it can grow in the face of browser anti-tracking updates and GDPR implementation in the European Union. BMO Capital Markets downgraded the company from “outperform” to “market perform” over GDPR concerns. Here’s the argument.  

Workers are distracted by a constant stream of email messages and notifications, according to a study of 20,000 Europeans by Microsoft. And they face other technological distractions. Only 11.4% feel they are highly productive. 

Doctors are three times worse than non-physicians at spotting phishing emails, according to a study by MediaPro. And eight out of 10 healthcare workers are unprepared for common security threats. 

Ryanair will focus on customer service improvements in its marketing this year. The airline, which claims to have the lowest marketing spend in the industry, has a programmatic approach to email, driving traffic with flash sales conducted through email and social media. 

Two strategies for optimizing websites are article curation and email marketing. Curation consists of revising news articles in short takes. Email is the oldest optimization strategy, but it still works. Here are the recommended practices. 

New Jersey Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-5th Dist.) has been accused by the GOP of violating ethics rules by using a government email to publicize campaign fundraising totals. A staff member allegedly sent out an email stating that Gottheimer has raised more than $3 million since the end of 2016, and almost $729,000 in the last three months o 2017. 

The UK data protection agency has cautioned public sector leaders against “box ticking” by staff when the GDPR takes effect in May. The agency called on them to promote accountability.

Privacy advocates are concerned about Amazon’s move into the healthcare market with Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan. They ask what happens when  “a company that has access to our weekly shopping lists, eating habits and in-home Alexa-based assistants also becomes involved in our medical care?”, according to The Washington Post.  

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is pulling back from a full-scale probe of the Equifax data breach that exposed data on 143 million Americans. The probe had been authorized by Richard Cordray, Mick Mulvaney’s predecessor as head of the CFPB.    

Last Friday was Groundhog day. To celebrate the occasion, Movable Ink’s Kristen Dunleavy discusses the lessons email marketers can learn from the film Groundhog Day. We’re serious. The first one is: Get recipients’ permission before making your pitch.