New Mexico’s $942M order tests whether courts can require product changes alongside financial penalties.

Classroom cell phone bans are spreading fast, reshaping how teens use social media and when advertisers can reach them. The trend is shrinking opportunities to engage young audiences.

Short-form video is where social platforms are concentrating their ad innovation in 2026. Instagram is monetizing the moment after a Reel ends, YouTube Shorts earned the industry's first short-form measurement accreditation, and episodic formats are turning casual scrolling into appointment viewing. This FAQ covers the formats, inventory growth, and creative practices shaping short-form video advertising.

81% of US Instagram users watched Reels, but only 39% uploaded content to Reels, according to an April report from Morning Consult.

AI’s spending surge is moving from ambition to accountability. Rising AI costs, agentic commerce, Apple’s assistant strategy, and consumer trust issues are changing the marketing landscape.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the biggest gaps between where Americans spend their time and where advertisers spend their money. We explore the disconnect in social media, the imbalance in subscription OTT, and why digital audio continues to be a dark horse. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Principal Forecasting Writer Ethan Cramer-Flood and Senior Director of Forecasting Oscar Orozco. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

Meta misses on EPS and cash flow: Marketers should expect more AI ad tools as the company tries to justify heavier spending.

Social networks still command attention, but time spent growth is slowing. As video reaches its limits and scrutiny intensifies on multiple fronts, platforms are chasing new ways to keep users engaged.

AI health scam ads are fooling vulnerable patients, making consumer education with trusted healthcare creators a growing imperative for credible health brands.

Meta vows to fight misleading AI content: An EU pact will force advertisers to clearly label AI content even as usage climbs.

TikTok is back on a growth path in Canada as advertiser confidence returns. But potential of new youth safety rules could limit audience growth, even as ad and commerce opportunities expand.

Disney expands AI into CTV advertising: The move could make TV creative more accessible, but only if brands keep tight oversight and quality assurance.

What Q2 earnings say about the future of advertising

Advertisers are pouring money into channels that don’t match where consumers spend their time. This report reveals the biggest gaps across media, devices, and platforms—and where missed opportunities may lie.

Retail media networks (RMNs) are moving beyond traditional return on ad spend metrics to prove business impact through closed-loop attribution that connects media exposure to actual purchases, both online and in-store.

In today’s podcast episode, we discuss what would happen if sports viewership declined, if Meta had to pay $1.4 trillion to California, New Jersey, Colorado, and Kentucky in youth safety lawsuits, and if AI turned every product placement in a TV show into ad inventory. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Senior Analyst Ross Benes, Vice President of Content Suzy Davidkhanian, and Analyst Marisa Jones. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube or Spotify.

OpenAI's ad target is not realistic: A 90% shortfall points to ad infrastructure that still isn't ready to attract major marketing budgets.

US programmatic advertising is consolidating around video, CTV, walled gardens, retail media, and agentic AI. Marketers need to balance signal, scale, transparency, and control as automated buying enters its next phase.

YouTube ad growth slows: Video budgets are spreading across more platforms, making YouTube one part of a broader media strategy.

The race to build AI infrastructure has triggered an unprecedented rush for capital and spending, reshaping capital markets and creating new pricing, platform, and vendor risks for marketers.