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.
AI Google sues scraper while being the internet's biggest scraper itself Google filed a December 19 lawsuit against SerpApi for scraping search results, yet the company scrapes billions of web pages for AI training without compensation.
Retail John Lewis tops AI's Christmas shopping recommendations as ChatGPT reshapes retail John Lewis achieved the highest visibility in ChatGPT's shopping recommendations this Christmas, outranking over 1,000 retailers as artificial intelligence transforms how consumers discover products.
Data Deezer's marketing partner hit with €1 million in processor violations France's data protection authority fined Israeli marketing platform Optimove €1 million on December 11, 2025, for systematic GDPR violations affecting 9.8 million French users in a breach exposing Deezer customer data.
Video YouTube's TV interface gets its first major makeover in years YouTube redesigns television playback interface with repositioned controls, new description button, and improved subscriber experience across TV screens.
