Donald Trump warned that Netflix’s proposed $83 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery could pose major competition concerns, arguing the combined company’s market power “could be a problem.” He signalled he would personally weigh in on the review, an unusual level of presidential involvement that former regulators criticised as political interference. Hollywood unions and other critics fear the merger would concentrate too much control over content and reduce consumer choice, while supporters say it would reshape the industry to compete globally.

The European Commission’s new Digital Omnibus package was presented to Parliament’s IMCO committee on 3rd December as simplifying digital and AI rules by easing administrative burdens, clarifying GDPR application, updating cookie provisions, and aligning AI Act timelines without weakening privacy protections. Reactions were mixed, as the EPP would welcome clearer obligations, the S&D warned about risks and data safeguards, and the ECR pushed for deeper simplification while rejecting an EU-level reporting mechanism. On the industry side, publishers argue that the proposed “cookie fix” leaves them worse off.

The EU has fined Elon Musk’s X €120 million in its first major enforcement action under the Digital Services Act, following a two-year investigation that heightened tensions with the United States fighting against Brussels’ tech regulations. In response, X blocked the European Commission’s advertising account, escalating the standoff. Brussels signals that more DSA and DMA sanctions are expected in the coming months.

The European Commission unveiled its European Democracy Shield on 12 November, aiming to strengthen civil society and establish a future European Centre for Democratic Resilience. Many see this text as largely reiterating previous media commitments, when the Democracy Shield should really be calling for more ambitious reforms, for instance by including stricter oversight of social media algorithms, guaranteed access for reliable media, and support for directing advertising to responsible outlets. Overall, political and industry reactions are mixed, with demands for concrete measures to be in line with upcoming evaluations of audiovisual media rules and the future Digital Fairness Act.

The European Commission has unveiled its Digital Omnibus, a regulatory package aimed at streamlining EU rules, aligning high-risk AI requirements with standards, easing compliance for SMEs and mid-cap companies, and modernising GDPR and cookie regulations. These amendments have been heavily debated by privacy groups such as noyb. The media exemption when it comes to centralise consent is still present in the text, which constitutes a useful carve out for our industry, but falls short when it comes audience measurement in this version.

Internal documents reveal that Meta may have earned around 10% of its 2024 revenue (about $16 billion) from ads linked to scams and banned goods, with its platforms hosting an estimated 15 billion high-risk ads daily. Meta’s enforcement strategy allows suspected fraudulent advertisers to continue paying for ads (often at higher “penalty bids”) rather than being immediately removed. At the same time, a coalition of over 30 advocacy groups has urged the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to act against Meta for allegedly using chatbot conversation data for advertising without proper consent, in violation of the FTC’s 2020 Order. Together, the revelations highlight mounting concerns over Meta’s monetization practices and its handling of user data amid growing regulatory scrutiny.

The European Commission will present its “digital omnibus” reform package on 19 November, aiming to simplify EU tech rules by easing GDPR compliance for businesses, recognizing “legitimate interest” as a legal basis for AI training, and unifying data and cookie regulations. In the leak of the proposal text is included a new global browser signal for cookie consent that websites and apps must respect, except for media services, which are explicitly exempt to preserve their current advertising-based models deemed vital for democratic sustainability. This carve-out reflects the Commission’s intent to balance digital simplification with support for Europe’s media sector ahead of its upcoming European Democracy Shield initiative.

On 4 November 2025, the European Parliament’s CULT, IMCO, and PETI Committees held a joint hearing and discussion on protecting children and adolescents online, building on recent Commission guidelines and petitions on minors’ digital safety. Rapporteur Sandro Ruotolo stressed a whole-of-society approach covering digital literacy, age verification, and shared responsibility among parents, educators, and platforms, while MEPs and stakeholders warned of risks like addiction, manipulative ads, and exploitative design. The amendments to the CULT report are due by 13 November and a committee vote is set for April 2026.

The Commission outlined upcoming actions, including a Cyberbullying Action Plan, the Digital Fairness Act, and of course the review of the AVMSD, on which a workshop was held on 5 November. Overall, during this workshop, broadcasters used the forum to voice concerns about the uneven regulatory landscape, where traditional media face strict advertising limits while online platforms and influencers operate with far more flexibility. The next steps regarding the AVMSD evaluation are a call for evidence in the next weeks, followed by a public consultation in January.

A recent study by Germany’s Landesanstalt für Medien Nordrhein‑Westfalen (LfM) reveals that “political influencers” (social-media creators endorsing political causes or candidates) are growing rapidly, yet they operate outside the scope of regulations for journalism or political advertising, creating regulatory blind spots. It found that among 15 to 24-year-olds, 74 % follow influencers, and the line between opinion and information was unclear in 59 % of sampled content, raising concerns about manipulation and democratic trust. The study argues that new regulatory approaches, potentially under the upcoming Digital Fairness Act, are needed to ensure accountability and clarity for influencer-driven political communication.

Google has quietly shelved its six-year-old Privacy Sandbox initiative, which sought to replace third-party cookies with a ‘privacy-first’ advertising framework, after several delays and mounting technical and competitive concerns. The initiative also had a low support from the industry, with many arguing that the proposed APIs failed to support basic ad-tech use cases, while regulators and competitors flagged the risk of Google gaining even more dominance.

Meta is rolling out a “consent or pay” model in the UK, giving Facebook and Instagram users the choice to accept targeted ads or subscribe for an ad-free experience at £2.99 per month on the web and £3.99 on mobile, with additional linked accounts covered by a single fee. The move, prompted by regulatory pressure over data privacy and ad targeting, mirrors a similar model in the EU but comes at a lower price, and regulators have welcomed it as a clearer way for users to control how their data is used.

On the ongoing Google AdTech case in the US, Judge Brinkema signalled that she is focused on concrete feasibility: she wants to hear testimony from engineers and Googlers about whether divesting Google’s ad exchange (AdX) and publisher ad server (DFP) is technically and economically possible. Google’s own internal studies suggest that such divestitures are feasible, albeit over a multi-year timeline, which bolsters the DOJ’s remedy arguments. However, Brinkema has also raised sceptical questions about the disruption to small publishers, the danger Google might shift away from open-web advertising, and the burdens of long-term oversight, signalling that the DOJ still has to make a compelling case.

The European Commission has initiated a public consultation to gather feedback on simplifying EU legislation concerning data, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI) as part of the upcoming Digital Omnibus. This initiative aligns with the Commission's broader simplification agenda, aiming to reduce administrative burdens by at least 25% for all companies and 35% for small and medium-sized enterprises. The call for evidence is open until 14 October 2025.

The CJEU ruled that online marketplaces qualify as data controllers under the GDPR for personal data contained in user-posted ads, obliging them to detect sensitive data before publication, verify consent or identity, and prevent unlawful copying of such ads. The judgment has sparked concern among some experts, who argue it effectively mandates general monitoring and user identification, potentially clashing with the DSA, while others contend the required measures fit within the DSA’s existing framework for platform diligence. The case, originating from Russmedia, could have far-reaching implications for how platforms moderate and pre-screen user content.

The European Commission has accepted TikTok’s commitments to improve advertising transparency under the Digital Services Act, requiring the platform to provide full details of ads in its public registry, update it at least every 24 hours, disclose targeting information, and ease researchers’ access to the database. These pledges follow preliminary findings from May 2025, and the Commission says it will further examine researchers’ access to TikTok’s internal data.

Google faces multiple legal and regulatory challenges as closing arguments conclude in the U.S. Ad Tech antitrust case, where remedies could reshape its advertising operations. At the same time, Google has unsurprisingly refused the EU’s request to break up its business after being fined nearly €3 billion, instead proposing technical and product changes to address antitrust concerns. In Germany, it was ordered to pay €573 million to price comparison platforms for favouring Google Shopping in search results over 15 years. Meanwhile, Meta was fined €479 million by a Spanish court for abusing its market position against local media outlets. These cases underscore mounting scrutiny of Big Tech in Europe, highlighting ongoing disputes over competition, market dominance, and the companies’ resistance to structural interventions.

Alongside the publication of the Omnibus, the EU has launched a Digital Fitness Check to assess the combined impact of its digital regulations, seeking feedback on how overlapping rules affect citizens, businesses, and public authorities. This public consultation runs from 19 November 2025 until 11 March 2026 and aims to identify simplification opportunities and regulatory inefficiencies.

A new declaration, adopted at a ministerial meeting in Copenhagen on 4 November 2025, affirms that culture, independent media and Europe’s cultural heritage are essential pillars for safeguarding democracy in the face of disinformation and foreign interference. The declaration has been supported by 26 of the 27 EU Member States, along with the UK, Ukraine, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Only Hungary has declined to endorse it.

The European Commission has set up a new ‘Expert Group of Providers of Political Advertising Services’ to monitor how the upcoming Regulation is applied and to gather practical feedback from the sector. The call for applications is now open until 10 December 2025, and individual companies are welcome to apply. This initiative aims to ensure that industry voices directly shape the implementation of the EU’s new political advertising framework.

The European Commission published its 2026 work programme on 21 October 2025, which  sets out measures aimed at reinforcing Europe’s sovereignty, competitiveness, and resilience. It aims at continuing earlier policy goals by emphasising support for industrial innovation, clean and digital technology development, social safety nets, and shared security, while also aiming to streamline EU legislation to lower administrative burdens and costs. The programme also points to forthcoming and vaguely defined ‘update’ of the AVMSD with an emphasis on simplification, whereas the Green Claims Directive remains under consideration and has not yet moved forward.

The EU’s new Political Advertising Regulation, effective 10 October 2025, requires all political ads to carry transparency labels detailing sponsors, spending, targeted audiences, and related elections, aiming to curb misinformation and foreign interference. Broadcasters now face increased scrutiny and administrative burdens to ensure compliance, while Meta and Google’s withdrawal from political and social-issue advertising in the EU raises concerns about limited access to major digital channels. This retreat could shift influence toward illiberal actors, testing whether the regulation can effectively ensure transparency without reducing public debate.

The European Commission published preliminarily conclusions indicating that Meta Platforms and TikTok violated key transparency and safety obligations under the Digital Services Act by using confusing interface designs and restricting researcher access to platform data, thereby hampering user rights and public scrutiny. Both platforms now face investigations and potential fines of up to 6 % of their global annual turnover if found in breach when the inquiries are concluded. Meta disputes the findings and says it is working to comply, while TikTok argues the rules conflict with Europe’s privacy law and is reviewing the Commission’s conclusions.

Europe is ramping up pressure on Google’s ad tech business, with regulators ready to impose structural remedies, including a breakup, if its proposals fall short. The European Commission has set deadlines and is acting more aggressively than U.S. courts, while protests in Brussels call for divestitures, warning that Google’s dominance harms competition, publishers, and the digital ecosystem.

The Dutch Data Protection Authority, together with DPAs from Hungary, Italy, and Liechtenstein, published a report following a joint exploratory investigation into smart TVs, focusing on three models from different manufacturers and the data flows they generate. The findings indicate that these devices transmit substantial data during installation, daily use, even switched off, and operate within a complex and opaque ecosystem of manufacturers, OS providers, and app developers. It also found that they frequently limit users’ ability to manage privacy settings, and include pre-installed apps that raise concerns about data minimisation and users’ rights.