MediaPost.com: MediaDailyNews

EU Commission Report Finds Instagram, Facebook Violate Digital Services Act

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 18:32:09 -0400

The EU Commission found Meta's Instagram and Facebook apps violate the Digital Services Act due to addictive design features including infinite scrolling, autoplaying, notifications and personalized recommendation algorithms.

High-Intent ChatGPT Users Call Brands To Engage

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 17:35:52 -0400

Picking up a phone to make a call sometimes seems archaic, but data shows the value of consumers and how brands can stay connected to them.

States Sue To Block Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:47:53 -0400

The merger "would extinguish competition between Paramount and Warner Bros. and inflict substantial harm on movie theatres, basic cable distributors, and, ultimately, audiences nationwide," 12 state attorneys general allege in a complaint filed Monday.

Bluesky Names Interim Chief Toni Schneider CEO

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:27:53 -0400

Bluesky has named its interim chief Toni Schneider CEO, as Jay Graber's permanent replacement, marking a continued push in the potential promise of open-source alternatives.

IAB Proposal: Companies Should Obtain Teens' Opt-In Consent To Targeting

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 13:01:00 -0400

"IAB recognizes there are legitimate concerns about privacy and other risks associated with digital advertising when children and teens' personal data are involved," the organization writes in the new report, "Protecting America's Youth: A Modern Framework for Modernizing Children's Privacy Law."

Netflix Viewership Concerns: A Remedy? Think France's TF1

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:13:28 -0400

Netflix is looking to amp up live TV content - major sports and other live event programming, which could include awards shows, special reality TV and other programming.

VideoAmp, Nielsen One Pull Out Of MRC Accreditation Process

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:57:20 -0400

The reasons for withdrawing were not disclosed, but both have implications for an increasingly competitive measurement marketplace.

AI Steals Secrets, Microsoft CEO Says

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:24:41 -0400

AI has created a new data privacy and intellectual property risk for brands, flipping a classic economic theory on its head, according to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

Harris Poll: America's Worsening Financial Crisis

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:20:20 -0400

A whopping 95% of Americans believe the U.S. is suffering from a so-called "affordability crisis."

Confessions Of An Agency CEO: We're Overselling Fries

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 10:03:53 -0400

Here's a sentence I never thought I'd write: "The biggest threat to our industry isn't technology. It's what technology is letting us forget."

Advertisers Cannot Ignore The Disappearing AI Browser

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 09:45:06 -0400

Anthropic's AI engine Claude is the latest to change how a browser works. The company now has a built-in "sandbox" browser for its desktop Claude Code app, an agentic coding tool.

New 'DWTS' Has Message For America: Get Up And Dance!

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0400

While it has been fun to watch celebrities dance on "Dancing With the Stars," the quality of dancing on the new "DWTS: The Next Pro," raises the bar.

Creators Wanted The Dream Job, But Got The Hamster Wheel Instead

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Behind the inspirational social media posts, luxury brand trips and promises of entrepreneurial freedom sits a workforce running itself ragged trying to satisfy algorithms that never sleep.

Almost Half Of Global Ad Spend Is Going Through Platforms, Not Agencies

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 21:26:22 -0400

The advertising industry is being split in two by an iceberg effect, said Ian Whitaker, a research analyst and advisor, PPC Land reports. Visible above the surface are advertisers like Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Unilever, that traditional agencies have always served. Below the surface are small and medium-sized advertisers that never engage agencies, but work directly with platforms. Roughly 40% to 45% of all global advertising spend now comes from that lower segment, and that its share is growing year-over-year, Whitaker estimated. Whitaker made his remarks during a conversation with Daniel Knapp, IAB Europe’s chief economist.

Trump Administration Subpoenas 'NYT' Reporters

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 21:22:48 -0400

Several New York Times reporters have been subpoenaed after they reported on security concerns regarding the new Qatari-donated Air Force One, the Times reports. The subpoenas, some of which were served at the reporters’ homes, seek to force the journalists to testify before a federal grand jury in New York on Wednesday, and mark an escalation in President Trump’s efforts to intimidate independent news organizations. “The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” said David McCraw, the top newsroom lawyer at the Times, in a statement.

Search Visibility Is Being Altered By AI

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 21:17:13 -0400

Media teams have not yet reckoned with the impact of artificial intelligence on search, according to an article in Marketing Dive. Of all consumer searches, 37% are now started with AI tools instead of Google or Bing, research shows. And 60% of searches end without a click, with the users getting their answers from AI summaries. Moreover, these behaviors are accelerating. Winning in these conditions requires seeing paid search, organic SEO and AI visibility as one integrated system.

Google Offers Search Setting That Can Train AI

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 21:14:03 -0400

Google is rolling out a new setting in its Search services called Search Services History, and is using the searches to train AI, Fox News reports. This includes queried files, images that were uploaded, voice searches and Search Live recordings. When turned on, the Save Media setting can allow Google to save media from Search services interactions to improve Google’s AI models and technologies.

High-Tech Collar Brand Creates Photorealistic Dogs

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 19:57:06 -0400

Smart pet tech company Fi's new creative uses Claude, Kling and VEO AI for photorealistic dogs, down to specific breed markings.

Minnesota Battles Big Tech Over Warning Labels For Social Media

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:06:23 -0400

Minnesota's AG is pressing a federal judge to reject NetChoice's bid to block a new law that requires social platforms to display cigarette-style warning labels every time someone accesses a platform.

Hasbro Ages Up With Play-Doh For Grown-Ups

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:01:28 -0400

The new floral collection offers a creative outlet for adulting angst.

Stones' 'Block' Promo Targets New Generation Of Roblox Fans

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:06:37 -0400

The iconic band is inviting creators and a younger generation of fans to partake in a new Roblox game designed to promote the group's new album and six decades of rock-and-roll lore.

Investors Can Proceed With Suit Against Zeta Global, Judge Rules

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:21:22 -0400

Zeta Global must face a lawsuit by investors who claim it misrepresented that consumers opted in to the collection of their data, a federal judge said Wednesday.

Google Adds Transparency To AI-Generated Ads

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 13:56:43 -0400

Google introduced additional transparency features this week to help people better understand ads, adding a "How this ad was made" section to the My Ad Center panel, now accessible to all users globally.

Coming To A Polling Place Near You

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 13:03:23 -0400

You may never have heard of the Election Assistance Commission, but it's the next big chapter in Trump's Election Takeover Playbook.

Not Every Brand Should Jump On The ChatGPT Ads Bandwagon

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:57:12 -0400

The companies that should be testing ChatGPT Ads are the ones with experimental media budget, not brands looking for a silver bullet.

TBWA\Media Arts Lab Taps Bozanich For Strategy Role

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:51:34 -0400

She will report directly to Global CEO Katrien De Bauw and lead the agency's strategy discipline, based in Los Angeles.

Flying Blind In A $1.15 Trillion Paid Media Playground

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 11:39:59 -0400

Two-thirds of companies are lagging way behind on measurement maturity, and a tiny 15% actually use effectiveness as the primary driver for setting their budgets.

Nets Ramp Up Summer Promos: World Cup, 'Shark Week,' 'Dragon'

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 11:14:30 -0400

Telemundo leads all networks with a media value of $41.7 million for promo spots, according to iSpot.tv estimates. The network's World Cup has soared in engagement with 5.5 million average viewers through 92 matches over 25 days.

How Do You Top $100B In Ad Revenue In Less Than 4 Years? Just Ask ChatGPT

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 11:11:41 -0400

Actually, that answer comes from the securities team at NewStreet Research, which capped off a series on OpenAI ad scenarios with that remarkably bullish projection.

Report: Growth Of Sophisticated AI Use By Consumers Lags

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 10:46:54 -0400

Stagwell's National Research Group finds most AI users don't really know what it is or what its potential is beyond basic search.

Google Explains New Predictive Metric

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 10:22:31 -0400

A Google Ads metric that predicts the long-term revenue impact of top-of-funnel campaigns connects early actions like brand searches to expected future sales. When and why should marketers use this metric? Ginny Marvin, Google Ads product liaison, explains.

IAB Talks New Video Standards: Complex, Simple Or Otherwise?

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:28:05 -0400

The IAB says measurement standards need a reset that considers video-consumption elements such as sound quality, "skip-enabled" functions and the type of ad formats on that platform.

In Multi-Platform Era, Emmy Noms Are Too Numerous To Count

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0400

The sheer breadth of the categories, shows, platforms and Emmy nominees is a clear reflection of the size of the world of television today.

Media Outlets Ask Court To Penalize OpenAI For 'Discovery Misconduct'

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:21:10 -0400

Several media outlets, including The New York Times and the Daily News, have asked a federal judge to impose sanctions on OpenAI, alleging that the firm “chose obstruction” and is hiding evidence in the copyright infringement case now in discovery, U.S. News & World Report writes. The Thursday filing argues that OpenAI is not releasing data sets and ChatGPT logs that document how it used copyrighted new content, and that it should be penalized for “discovery misconduct.”

'New York Times' Executive Editor Calls Move Into Video 'A Race Against Time'

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:17:56 -0400

Joe Kahn, the executive editor of The New York Times, said the publication’s rush into video is a “race against time,” and as “as big a transformation as the print-to-digital transformation,” “The Hollywood Reporter writes. But it drew snide remarks from media veterans who remember the last pivot to video in the 2010s, the scars of which still linger in newsrooms. Kahn made his remarks on Peter Kafka’s Channels podcast.

Meta's Lawyers Slam $1.4 Trillion Demand In Multi-State Lawsuit

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:14:23 -0400

Meta is hitting back at the lawsuit that could result in its paying $1.4 trillion, almost the entire valuation of the company, to California and three other states, Deadline reports. “A sanction of that size has no analog in the history of consumer protection enforcement,” said Meta’s defense team in a filing this week. But attorneys general from California, Colorado Kentucky and New Jersey accused Meta of “unfair or unconscionable trade practices.” The case is about to go before an Oakland, California jury.

Hostelworld Retains Neverland Creative To Build Its Youth Audience

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:10:56 -0400

Hostelworld, a social media-powered online travel agent, has appointed Neverland Creative to lead its creative strategy, Decision Marketing reports. The agency has been tasked with developing a new brand strategy and creative platform. The goal is to build cultural relevance and grow the youth-backpacker and budget-travel audience. Hostelworld now has 3.4 million social members.

OpenAI Shutters Browser Amid Major Changes

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 22:16:48 -0400

OpenAI will redistribute some of its agentic browsing features - which were tested in the Atlas browser it is shuttering - across ChatGPT's desktop app and a Google Chrome extension.

When AI Answers Become Ad Inventory, Citation You Earn Is Your Owned Asset

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:41:27 -0400

Here's what the move toward AI answers actually hands a brand: the model filters before anyone reaches the site. By the time someone clicks, they're pre-vetted.

First Amendment Watchdogs Blast FCC Over 'The View' Investigation

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:29:34 -0400

"The veneer of legal process applied over the Commission's retaliation against speech disfavored by this administration is so thin that it is nearly invisible," TechFreedom, The Authors Guild and others say in an FCC filing.