Inviting educators to the Google Developers India Faculty Summit on 23rd April, 2021

Posted by Harsh Dattani, Community Manager

University Professor's have a large impact by educating the next generation of developers and engineers. Google Developers wants to enable university faculty with the best curriculum on Android development and programs. Earlier this year we announced the launch of our new faculty-led curriculum for Android Development with Kotlin in India. The curriculum is based on classroom learning (virtual or in-person) with an instructor delivering lectures on important Android concepts and students receiving hands-on practice through interactive pathways.

The Google Developers India Faculty Summit 2021 will kick things off on April 23rd. The Faculty Development Training program provides professors or faculty from different universities or skilling partners in India with resources designed by a team at Google.

Current partners in India include: Shivaji University, I. K. Gujral Punjab Technical University, Chandigarh University, Ganpat University, Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK), Learn 4 Grow, Teerthanker Mahaveer University and Information, and Communication Technology Academy of Kerala. These organizations will be the first to learn an offer this curriculum to their students with more universities to follow in upcoming semesters

Leading scholars and educational influencers from computer-science faculties at Indian universities will be in attendance, giving attendees the perfect chance to network with other professionals in Android development

Chief guest for the event is Professor Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). As he describes the upcoming summit,

"Google India Faculty Summit 2021 is a great opportunity for faculties of technical institutes to understand & assimilate nuances of Android Application Development using Kotlin and in turn disseminate the same to students, challenge them to create new applications, innovative solutions and make them entrepreneurs/employable engineers."

Register today for the summit here and see you on April 23rd at 10 AM IST.

Beta Channel Update for Desktop

 The Beta channel has been updated to 90.0.4430.85 for Windows Mac and Linux.



A full list of changes in this build is available in the log. Interested in switching release channels?  Find out how here. If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug. The community help forum is also a great place to reach out for help or learn about common issues.


Srinivas Sista

Tap into fan power with new YouTube Select sponsorships

Fromrecord-breaking music video releases tonever-before-seen conversations with celebrities, YouTube has become the virtual stage for the world's biggest cultural moments.The top 10 videos from 2020 — reaching a total of 356 million collective views — brought the world together to game, to laugh, to share some good news and so much more. 

As home to the content people need and the creators they love, YouTube is where personal meets popular — with fan favorite channels like Naomi Campbell (500,000+ subscribers) and Zach King (10 million+ subscribers). In the U.S., YouTube is the #1 video content provider viewers would miss the most if it was no longer available.1  

To help brands engage peak audiences, build association and stay relevant when it matters most, today we’re announcing a bigger, better sponsorship program under YouTube Select in the U.S.

Expanding our YouTube Select sponsorship offering 

In addition to longstanding sponsorships available exclusively in the upfront like NFL Game Day All Access, new this year, we’re offering a rolling set of seasonal sponsorships available on a quarterly basis.

Our seasonal sponsorship offering focuses specifically on what’s prominent in culture during that time of year, like Mother’s Day, Summer Wellness or Women in Music during Women’s History Month. And most importantly, the breadth of the seasonal slate means advertisers have a much wider variety of opportunities to celebrate diverse communities and topics, and reach their audiences where they are watching. 

See below for a glimpse into some of the most exciting sponsorships coming up, available either upfront or through our new seasonal offering.

The Upfront Slate

Reaching over 30 million views in the 2020 season,NFL Game Day All Access will be returning to YouTube for a third season this fall.2 Streaming exclusively on the NFL YouTube channel, it gives fans an intimate look at the full game day experience, with wired sound from players and coaches. Advertisers will have the opportunity to sponsor the show for multiple episodes during the regular season and postseason.

2020 was the biggest year yet for gaming on YouTube, with 100 billion watch time hours and 40 million+ active gaming channels. Building on this momentum, we’re adding a brand new upfront opportunity with Summer Game Fest — the industry’s first fully digital and global gaming event. We’re also excited to bring back the upfront sponsorship for The Game Awards — one of the biggest nights in the gaming industry that celebrates the biggest achievements of the year, including high share of voice, in-show integration and more.

Additionally, brands will have the opportunity to put on their studio executive hats with YouTube Greenlight. YouTube Greenlight brings a group of emerging YouTube creators together to pitch an original series ideas based on specific advertisers goals. The sponsorship includes a custom creator pitch session, a fully funded creator original series with integrations and paid promotion across YouTube.

The Seasonal Slate 

Today, YouTube announced a continued focus on sustainability with new original programming coming later this year. A subset of these shows will be available for sponsorship as part of our Q4 sustainability seasonal package, alongside other opportunities with YouTube creators and content focused on sustainable impact. The sponsorship will be available for companies with strong commitments to building a better planet for everyone.

Additionally, the seasonal state offers new ways to connect with your audience during holidays like Mother’s Day. For Mother’s Day specifically, we’ve seen surges in interest for things like that special gift, the perfect song for mom and more. To help brands align with this moment on YouTube, we’re offering a variety of packages including ownership of top moms’ channel WhatsUpMoms and the ability to build your own high share of voice packages across top mom creator and celebrity channels.

Image of a bar of soap being shaped into a rose. Text says "Mom Hacks"

We’re celebrating Black Music Appreciation Month with three different Black Music Month packages in June. Each sponsorship includes high share of voice across relevant playlists like R&B Wave or Essential 00’s Hip Hop, added value components and ownership of top channels like Joe Budden TV.

How advertisers are tapping into moments that matter most on YouTube

Mediacom partnered with their client and YouTube to honor women's history through the lens of music. The partnership included development ofcustom creative assets to celebrate women’s history, plus 100% share of voice of contextual environments like Women’s History Month music playlists and theGRAMMY’s channel, which featured aWomen in the Mix special.

Angelina Kim, Senior Partner & Group Director, Mediacom, said “This was an important opportunity to help our client connect with their audience, and drive engagement with the brand in the moments that matter most — all creatives drove significant increases in awareness and message association."

The sponsorships shared today are just a sampling of what’s available. Reach out to your Google sales team to learn more about YouTube Select sponsorships available in the upfront, and throughout the year.

1.  Google/Talkshoppe, US, whyVideo study, n=2003 A18-64 Genpop video users, June 2020.
2. YouTube Data, Sep 2020 - Mar 2021

Tap into fan power with new YouTube Select sponsorships

Fromrecord-breaking music video releases tonever-before-seen conversations with celebrities, YouTube has become the virtual stage for the world's biggest cultural moments.The top 10 videos from 2020 — reaching a total of 356 million collective views — brought the world together to game, to laugh, to share some good news and so much more. 

As home to the content people need and the creators they love, YouTube is where personal meets popular — with fan favorite channels like Naomi Campbell (500,000+ subscribers) and Zach King (10 million+ subscribers). In the U.S., YouTube is the #1 video content provider viewers would miss the most if it was no longer available.1  

To help brands engage peak audiences, build association and stay relevant when it matters most, today we’re announcing a bigger, better sponsorship program under YouTube Select in the U.S.

Expanding our YouTube Select sponsorship offering 

In addition to longstanding sponsorships available exclusively in the upfront like NFL Game Day All Access, new this year, we’re offering a rolling set of seasonal sponsorships available on a quarterly basis.

Our seasonal sponsorship offering focuses specifically on what’s prominent in culture during that time of year, like Mother’s Day, Summer Wellness or Women in Music during Women’s History Month. And most importantly, the breadth of the seasonal slate means advertisers have a much wider variety of opportunities to celebrate diverse communities and topics, and reach their audiences where they are watching. 

See below for a glimpse into some of the most exciting sponsorships coming up, available either upfront or through our new seasonal offering.

The Upfront Slate

Reaching over 30 million views in the 2020 season,NFL Game Day All Access will be returning to YouTube for a third season this fall.2 Streaming exclusively on the NFL YouTube channel, it gives fans an intimate look at the full game day experience, with wired sound from players and coaches. Advertisers will have the opportunity to sponsor the show for multiple episodes during the regular season and postseason.

2020 was the biggest year yet for gaming on YouTube, with 100 billion watch time hours and 40 million+ active gaming channels. Building on this momentum, we’re adding a brand new upfront opportunity with Summer Game Fest — the industry’s first fully digital and global gaming event. We’re also excited to bring back the upfront sponsorship for The Game Awards — one of the biggest nights in the gaming industry that celebrates the biggest achievements of the year, including high share of voice, in-show integration and more.

Additionally, brands will have the opportunity to put on their studio executive hats with YouTube Greenlight. YouTube Greenlight brings a group of emerging YouTube creators together to pitch an original series ideas based on specific advertisers goals. The sponsorship includes a custom creator pitch session, a fully funded creator original series with integrations and paid promotion across YouTube.

The Seasonal Slate 

Today, YouTube announced a continued focus on sustainability with new original programming coming later this year. A subset of these shows will be available for sponsorship as part of our Q4 sustainability seasonal package, alongside other opportunities with YouTube creators and content focused on sustainable impact. The sponsorship will be available for companies with strong commitments to building a better planet for everyone.

Additionally, the seasonal state offers new ways to connect with your audience during holidays like Mother’s Day. For Mother’s Day specifically, we’ve seen surges in interest for things like that special gift, the perfect song for mom and more. To help brands align with this moment on YouTube, we’re offering a variety of packages including ownership of top moms’ channel WhatsUpMoms and the ability to build your own high share of voice packages across top mom creator and celebrity channels.

Image of a bar of soap being shaped into a rose. Text says "Mom Hacks"

We’re celebrating Black Music Appreciation Month with three different Black Music Month packages in June. Each sponsorship includes high share of voice across relevant playlists like R&B Wave or Essential 00’s Hip Hop, added value components and ownership of top channels like Joe Budden TV.

How advertisers are tapping into moments that matter most on YouTube

Mediacom partnered with their client and YouTube to honor women's history through the lens of music. The partnership included development ofcustom creative assets to celebrate women’s history, plus 100% share of voice of contextual environments like Women’s History Month music playlists and theGRAMMY’s channel, which featured aWomen in the Mix special.

Angelina Kim, Senior Partner & Group Director, Mediacom, said “This was an important opportunity to help our client connect with their audience, and drive engagement with the brand in the moments that matter most — all creatives drove significant increases in awareness and message association."

The sponsorships shared today are just a sampling of what’s available. Reach out to your Google sales team to learn more about YouTube Select sponsorships available in the upfront, and throughout the year.

1.  Google/Talkshoppe, US, whyVideo study, n=2003 A18-64 Genpop video users, June 2020.
2. YouTube Data, Sep 2020 - Mar 2021

A new certification for health insurance advertisers in the U.S.

Our top priority is to create a safe and trustworthy experience for users, whether they’re searching for information online or interacting with ads across our platforms. That’s why we have robust Google Ads policies outlining the types of advertising we do and don’t allow. 

When developing our advertising policies, we often work with outside experts to ensure we’re factoring in relevant government regulations and industry accreditation programs. This helps us to connect users directly to the advertisers who both meet the latest standards and offer the product or service directly. For example, we have a longstanding certification program for online pharmacies which limits ads for the sale of prescription drugs to those from licensed pharmacies in countries where those ads are legal. Similarly, last year, we introduced a new policy to restrict promotions for official government services like passport renewals, visa applications or changing mailing addresses to the governments or their delegated providers.

Today, we are announcing our plans for a new certification program for health insurance advertisers in the United States. With this certification, we will only allow ads from government exchanges, first-party providers and licensed third-party brokers. In order to run ads, advertisers will need to provide documentation showing they are permitted under state law to sell health insurance. This includes plans for individual health insurance coverage, short-term coverage and Medicare, among others. Additionally, for private-sector providers promoting Affordable Care Act-compliant health plans, we will also require proof they are registered with the U.S. government to do so. 

When people come to Google with questions about healthcare coverage and insurance plans, we are committed to creating a high-quality ad experience – one where they’re connected to trustworthy providers, and the promotion is clear from the ad itself. This new certification creates an additional layer of protection on top of our longstanding misrepresentation policies, which prohibit advertisements with misleading claims about insurance plans or the advertiser’s affiliation with the government. 

Advertisers can begin to apply for certification on May 3, 2021. If they do not complete certification by June 2, 2021, they will no longer be able to serve their ads. For more information on the certification program and Google Ads policies visit our Advertiser Help Center.

A new certification for health insurance advertisers in the U.S.

Our top priority is to create a safe and trustworthy experience for users, whether they’re searching for information online or interacting with ads across our platforms. That’s why we have robust Google Ads policies outlining the types of advertising we do and don’t allow. 

When developing our advertising policies, we often work with outside experts to ensure we’re factoring in relevant government regulations and industry accreditation programs. This helps us to connect users directly to the advertisers who both meet the latest standards and offer the product or service directly. For example, we have a longstanding certification program for online pharmacies which limits ads for the sale of prescription drugs to those from licensed pharmacies in countries where those ads are legal. Similarly, last year, we introduced a new policy to restrict promotions for official government services like passport renewals, visa applications or changing mailing addresses to the governments or their delegated providers.

Today, we are announcing our plans for a new certification program for health insurance advertisers in the United States. With this certification, we will only allow ads from government exchanges, first-party providers and licensed third-party brokers. In order to run ads, advertisers will need to provide documentation showing they are permitted under state law to sell health insurance. This includes plans for individual health insurance coverage, short-term coverage and Medicare, among others. Additionally, for private-sector providers promoting Affordable Care Act-compliant health plans, we will also require proof they are registered with the U.S. government to do so. 

When people come to Google with questions about healthcare coverage and insurance plans, we are committed to creating a high-quality ad experience – one where they’re connected to trustworthy providers, and the promotion is clear from the ad itself. This new certification creates an additional layer of protection on top of our longstanding misrepresentation policies, which prohibit advertisements with misleading claims about insurance plans or the advertiser’s affiliation with the government. 

Advertisers can begin to apply for certification on May 3, 2021. If they do not complete certification by June 2, 2021, they will no longer be able to serve their ads. For more information on the certification program and Google Ads policies visit our Advertiser Help Center.

Join us for our first virtual Web Stories workshop

The Web Creators team at Google is inviting anyone who creates content on the web to our first-ever virtual Web Stories workshop. Web Stories are a web-based version of the popular Story format, which allow you to engage your audience like never before. Create richer, more intimate and more meaningful experiences that connect with your fans – all while hosting, owning and sharing your own content. 

The workshop will take place live on Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 1 PM Eastern time and is for creators who regularly create content for the web and have an online presence. During this workshop, you’ll learn about: 

  • The evolution of modern storytelling on the web and how Web Stories can help you grow your audience with rich, immersive content. 

  • Web Story editors and how to use them. You’ll be starting your own Web Story in real time with the help of a Google expert. 

  • All the tools and resources you have at your disposal – both online and within the Google Web Creators community – to thrive on the web.

To apply, fill out our registration form. We encourage you to do so as soon as possible, because space is limited, and we’ll be reviewing applications on a rolling basis to ensure attendees will get the most out of the event. Expect to hear back from us after applying within about a week.

Join us for our first virtual Web Stories workshop

The Web Creators team at Google is inviting anyone who creates content on the web to our first-ever virtual Web Stories workshop. Web Stories are a web-based version of the popular Story format, which allow you to engage your audience like never before. Create richer, more intimate and more meaningful experiences that connect with your fans – all while hosting, owning and sharing your own content. 

The workshop will take place live on Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 1 PM Eastern time and is for creators who regularly create content for the web and have an online presence. During this workshop, you’ll learn about: 

  • The evolution of modern storytelling on the web and how Web Stories can help you grow your audience with rich, immersive content. 

  • Web Story editors and how to use them. You’ll be starting your own Web Story in real time with the help of a Google expert. 

  • All the tools and resources you have at your disposal – both online and within the Google Web Creators community – to thrive on the web.

To apply, fill out our registration form. We encourage you to do so as soon as possible, because space is limited, and we’ll be reviewing applications on a rolling basis to ensure attendees will get the most out of the event. Expect to hear back from us after applying within about a week.

Reminder: Website creation in classic Google Sites will no longer be available starting May 15, 2021

What’s changing 

As previously announced, we are replacing classic Sites with new Sites. All Google Workspace customers will have until the end of 2021 to complete this transition. 


We’d like to remind you that starting May 15, 2021, users will no longer be able to create new websites in classic Google Sites. We recommend that you turn off site creation in classic Sites for your domain before May 15, 2021. 


Note that the timeline for this transition varies for users with personal Google accounts — see the “Getting Started” section below for more details.


Who’s impacted 

Admins and end users 


Why it’s important 

If you haven’t already, we strongly recommend enabling new Sites creation for your users today, to ensure all newly-created websites use the new Google Sites. If you want your organization’s classic Sites content to continue to be viewable without interruption, make sure all of your existing classic Sites are migrated by December 31, 2021.


Admins should also review the remaining transition timeline and take any necessary action: 
  • Starting May 15, 2021: New website creation will no longer be available in classic Sites. This means that any new websites created in your organization will only be in new Sites. 
  • Starting December 1, 2021: Editing of any remaining classic Sites will be disabled. 
  • Starting January 1, 2022: When users try to visit a classic Site, they will no longer see the website content. Any remaining classic Sites will automatically be: 
    • Downloaded as an archive and saved to the website owner’s Google Drive. 
    • Replaced with a draft in the new Google Sites for site owners to review and publish.

We anticipate the transition process for all remaining classic Sites that starts January 1, 2022 will take one to three months to complete. You’ll receive a notification once this is completed for your domain. During the transition period, you and your users will still be able to take action on remaining classic Sites. Visit the Help Center for more details on the Classic Sites migration. 


If you don’t take any action, the changes outlined in the transition timeline above will automatically be applied to your domain. Use our Help Center to learn more about the transition from classic Sites to new Sites.


Getting started 

  • Admins: Follow the disable creating classic Sites instructions to turn off site creation in classic Sites before May 15, 2021. This change will help ensure all newly-created websites are using the new Google Sites experience. 

    • Use the Classic Sites Manager to help your users make the transition. Using this console, admins can: 
      • View all classic Sites in your domain with the option to export to Google Sites for project management. 
      • Convert, archive, or delete your websites. 
      • Bulk delete and restore sites within the Classic Sites Manager. 
      • Bulk update ownership of sites from within the Classic Sites Manager.

  • Google Workspace end users: Users need to transition from classic to new Sites according to the timeline outlined above. Learn more about how to use the Classic Sites Manager tool, or visit our Help Center to learn how to convert a classic Site to a new Site. 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers.
  • Available to users with personal Google accounts.

Resources 

Reminder: Using v2.0 of the Content API for Shopping with new accounts ends on April 30, 2021

In March, we announced that beginning April 30, 2021 we will no longer allow new merchant accounts onto v2.0 of the Content API for Shopping as part of the sunset process. With less than two weeks to go until the April deadline, here is a quick reminder of the details.

What do I need to know?
  • This account restriction will not impact users accessing new sub-accounts via an existing multi-client account (MCA), provided that MCA has been actively making v2.0 requests.
  • New accounts using v2.1 of the Content API for Shopping will not be affected.
  • The sunset date for existing merchant accounts actively using v2.0 is September 30, 2021.
What do I need to do?
  • Migrate to v2.1 of the Content API for Shopping in order to continue interacting with new merchant accounts after April 30, 2021.
  • If you are concerned you won’t be able to meet the April deadline, please fill out this form to request an exemption.
If you have any questions or issues during migration, contact your Google representative for Merchant Center programs, or ask questions in the Content API for Shopping forum.
Ian Ballantyne, Content API for Shopping Team