-- Senator likens ad targeting to government wiretaps: Two weeks after privacy objections led Charter Communications (NSDQ: CHTR) to drop its ad targeting experiment with NebuAd, the Senate Commerce Committee is taking a wider look at behavioral advertising. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fl.) connected the hearing on behavioral targeting to the one investigating the Bush Administration’s use of wiretapping. Congress is considering enacting “privacy legislation” above the FTC’s call for continued industry “self-policing.” Representatives from Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) appeared to side with the Center for Democracy and Technology in saying that such a law is needed.

-- AOL’s AdTech in exclusive ad serving agreement with Gannett: While AOL’s (NYSE: TWX) Platform-A has been working on its European expansion lately, an ad serving deal struck with Gannett (NYSE: GCI) brings its German ad server AdTech over to the U.S. The rollout ultimately will include all of Gannett’s local newspaper sites, digital properties for all of Gannett’s 19 local broadcast markets and USAToday.com.

-- Microsoft prepares to fight back: Microsoft is tired playing the foil to Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) in all those Mac ads featuring John Hodgeman as the hapless embodiment of Vista. Speaking at an industry event, Brad Brooks, a VP for Windows marketing, said Microsoft isn’t going to take it anymore, regarding the “I’m a Mac, he’s a PC ads”: “You thought the sleeping giant was still sleeping? Well, we’ve woken up and it’s time to take our message forward.” Get ready, Apple…

-- A year later, MSFT/aQuantive: proof mergers can work?: So far, so good, says ClickZ, citing no major layoffs/departures 11 months after Microsoft paid a whopping $6 billion for the digital ad shop. The piece also says that the combo has helped each maintain their respective relationships with advertisers during the transition period, and has helped Microsoft in ramping up its own targeting tools. 

-- Glam hits the runway with new ad exchange: The fashion-focused vertical ad network now has an ad exchange, dubbed GlamX. The exchange is aimed at remnant ad inventory. The company feels it can offer more reach with an exchange and complement its other ad services, such as premium video program Glam Digital Primetime and branding and engagement product, Glam Interactive Solutions.

-- IPG disbands Futures Marketing unit: Barely a day after reorganizing parts of its media buying and planning functions into the new Mediabrands unit, Interpublic Group is dismantling the year-old Futures Marketing Group. The group managed IPG’s digital media investments, including stakes in custom ad maker Spot Runner and Facebook. Bant Breen, the group’s head, will now serve as director of IPG’s Emerging Media Lab, but could be moving to a new, as yet undetermined role.

-- MTVN gets sweet and sour with ITV ads: Queen Bees, a new reality series about “mean girls” appearing on MTV Networks’ (NYSE: VIA) tween channel The N, is serving as an incubator for an interactive ad campaign kicking off Friday. The i-TV ads for Cadbury’s Sour Patch candies will run exclusively in Dish Network homes. During the show, the ads will pop up and inquire whether a character was “sweet or sour.” Viewers can than answer in an online poll.

-- People’s YouTube channel gets made up by Revlon: The arrangement centered around People.com represents Revlon’s online sponsorship effort and YouTube’s first co-branded online contest. The competition asks users to submit videos of their friends pretending to be interviewed on “the red carpet.” The winning “red carpet reporters” will be revealed August 27 on both People.com and People’s YouTube channel.

-- Veoh begins targeting ads: Online video site Veoh has started beta testing a behavioral targeting service across its network.  The ad targeting service takes in video use, searching, browsing and community activity data from the more than 28 million users that Veoh says it has.