Search

News publishers lose half their Google search traffic in two years

Google Web Search traffic to news publishers declined from 51% to 27% between 2023-2025 while Discover feed climbed to 68%, creating volatility for content creators.

Data

Google slashes audience targeting thresholds to 100 users across all networks

Google reduced minimum audience size requirements to 100 active users across Search, Display, and YouTube networks for all segment types, marking a substantial expansion of remarketing accessibility for smaller advertisers.

Data

Europe's Data Act reshapes connected device rules for marketers

European Data Act establishes data sharing obligations for connected devices and cloud services starting September 2025, affecting digital advertisers' access to IoT data.

Social

Anonym brings privacy-protected measurement to Pinterest advertisers

Mozilla-owned Anonym partnered with Pinterest to enable brands to measure campaign performance using tightly governed first-party data through encrypted infrastructure.

Social

TikTok users are complaining about search

TikTok search quality has deteriorated significantly according to user complaints across Reddit and industry reports, raising questions about the platform's viability as Gen Z's preferred search engine despite 57% of users searching on the app.

Data

Apple bends to Japan's competition law with app store and payment changes

Apple announces iOS changes for Japan on December 17, introducing alternative marketplaces and payment options to comply with MSCA regulations affecting developers.

Data

Italy fines Apple €98.6 million for making developers ask users twice

Italian regulator rules Apple's App Tracking Transparency policy forces unfair double consent on third-party developers while benefiting its own ads.

AI

Microsoft bets on AI to rewrite Windows after code it wrote broke the OS

Microsoft plans to eliminate C and C++ code by 2030 using AI after admitting months of Windows 11 malfunctions caused by components that started failing in July 2025.

Retail

Banks profit six times their costs as merchants absorb 50% of debit fraud

Federal Reserve data shows banks earning $0.24 on $0.041 costs while merchants absorbed 49.9% of debit card fraud in 2023, up from 38.3% in 2011, as industry resists fee updates.

AI

Google buys Intersect for $4.75B to solve AI's power crisis

Alphabet acquires Intersect for $4.75 billion in cash to accelerate data center energy capacity. Deal includes multiple gigawatts of projects under construction.

AI

Google delays Gemini's complete takeover of Assistant until 2026

Google pushes Gemini's full replacement of Assistant into 2026 after announcing 2025 completion. The transition affects millions of mobile users and smart devices.

AI

Google quietly expands AI Overview ads to 11 countries without fanfare

Google expanded AI Overview ads to Australia, Canada, India and 8 more countries on December 19, targeting English speakers with text and shopping ads.

Search

Google quietly kills Q&A for an AI button most won't use

Google replaces Business Profile Q&A with AI-powered Ask feature, completing a systematic dismantling of customer interaction tools that began with chat removal in 2024.

AI

IAS Agent promises instant campaign insights without the AI black box

Integral Ad Science launches AI assistant with explainable recommendations for brand safety and campaign optimization, rolling out free in Q1 2026.

Retail

Credit cards now dominate as shoppers plan record holiday spending

TransUnion Q4 2025 study shows 42% of Americans will rely on credit cards for holiday purchases, up from 38% last year, as 58% plan to spend over $250 despite inflation.

AI

Brands can now track and influence what AI says about them

impact.com partners with Evertune to integrate AI Brand Monitoring into performance marketing platform, enabling brands to measure and optimize visibility across ChatGPT, Gemini, and other large language models.

AI

Gemini now serves local results from Google Maps in visual format

Google's Gemini AI assistant integrates Maps data with photos and ratings directly in conversational interfaces starting December 13, 2025.

Data

Your dating app activity is TikTok's business now

Privacy advocates filed two GDPR complaints against TikTok on December 9, exposing systematic tracking across mobile apps including Grindr, incomplete data access responses, and potential violations involving sexual orientation data worth up to €530 million in fines.

AI

ChatGPT holds two-thirds market share as Gemini and Grok gain ground

ChatGPT maintains commanding lead in U.S. AI chatbot traffic with 66% share while Google Gemini climbs rankings and X's Grok enters top 10 despite declining visits.

AI

AI washing exposed: how empty promises destroy marketing credibility

AI washing research reveals systematic exaggeration of artificial intelligence capabilities creating consumer mistrust cycles that threaten brand credibility across marketing.

AI

Australian watchdog sounds alarm on AI risks marketers need to know

ACCC releases comprehensive AI industry snapshot on December 17, warning of consumer risks from agentic systems, fake reviews, and privacy-degrading practices across platforms.

Display

How digital advertising quietly undermines the news industry

IAB Europe's December 2025 report reveals digital advertising's social impact remains fragmented and unmeasured, threatening media plurality and journalism funding.

AI

Recipe bloggers warn: Google's AI recipes risk ruining holiday meals

NBC News investigation reveals AI-generated recipes produce hazardous results as Google displays untested content using stolen photos from publishers.

Data

Honey targeted minors in advertising while leaking business codes

Investigation reveals Honey collected data from children despite policy claims, while systematically leaking private discount codes from small businesses without consent.

Retail

China mandates new rules targeting platform pricing and behavioral tracking compliance

China releases comprehensive pricing regulations for internet platforms requiring PIPL compliance for behavioral pricing by April 2026.