MadTech Daily:Meta Tolerates Ad Fraud to Protect Revenue; US suspends Tech deal with UK Amid Trade Frustrations

In today’s Digest, we cover Meta tolerating China-linked ad fraud to protect revenue, the US suspending a tech deal with the UK amid trade frustrations, and AI becoming Santa’s helper for 2025 Christmas shopping.

In today’s MadTech Daily, we cover BBC Studios accelerating digital growth in EMEA, Reddit challenging Australia’s under-16 social media ban in court, and Amazon planning to invest over USD$35bn in India’s AI sector.

In today’s MadTech Daily, we cover YouTube TV launching genre-based plans, expanding its sports streaming push, and increasing ads on Shorts. We also cover Pinterest buying tvScientific to expand performance ads to CTV, and Meta reportedly using Alibaba’s Qwen in its ‘Avocado’ model.

In this episode of the MadTech podcast, ExchangeWire co-founder & advisor Ciaran O’Kane and head of content John Still join head of marketing Grainne Reid to look at pivotal changes across media consolidation and transatlantic policy tensions.  They discuss Paramount’s move to gazump Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, US backlash against the EU’s fine on X, and the EU’s investigation into Google’s AI overviews.

In today’s MadTech Daily, we cover Disney and OpenAI striking a deal to bring characters to Sora, Google testing AI article overviews on certain Google News pages, as well as a look at Meta’s shift from open-source to revenue-driven AI.

In today’s MadTech Daily we look at newly released figures from Ofcom, Tencent dropping out of Paramount’s Warner Bros bid over US regulatory fears, and Cadent acquiring YouTube ad firm VuePlanner.

In today’s MadTech Daily, we cover Google denying a 2026 ads plan for Gemini, the EU probing Google’s AI search summaries, and Uber turning rider and delivery data into ad insights.

In today’s Digest, we cover Paramount’s late bid for Warner, Meta securing a series of AI content deals, and China’s open-source AI reaching 30% of global usage.

In today’s MadTech Daily, we discuss Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, X being hit with a €120m EU penalty, and the UK eyeing tougher laws for AI chatbots.

In this episode of the MadTech Podcast, Shula Sinclair, chief strategy officer at T&P, joins ExchangeWire editor Aimee Newell Tarín and head of content John Still to discuss the latest surrounding Meta’s fraudulent ads, AI sending traffic and conversions soaring for retailers, and the influencer landscape. They look at a complaint launched by Swedish publishers against Meta, how AI is reshaping consumer habits, and influencer content’s increasing popularity with older viewers.