Digital ad spending remains resilient although economic signals are wobbly. AI-driven optimization, richer first-party data, and surging digital video will keep growth strong even as search shifts and traditional budgets fade.

Mobile advertising remains concentrated around a few dominant platforms, but challengers are gaining ground, per AppsFlyer’s Performance Index. Worldwide, Google Ads and Apple Ads remain No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, but AppLovin, Mintegral, Meta Ads, and TikTok for Business are climbing the rankings. As industries push further into mobile ads, competition is intensifying around creative efficiency, privacy-safe measurement, and cross-platform diversification. Marketers should prioritize mobile-first creative, test emerging networks early, and diversify across iOS and Android to hedge volatility.

AppLovin beat expectations again, delivering a blowout quarter that affirmed its place among the most profitable players in adtech. Even as the company faces ongoing scrutiny over data practices and an SEC probe, its financial momentum appears unaffected. AppLovin is proving that controversy doesn’t always kill momentum. Its ability to execute quarter after quarter suggests marketers may be more pragmatic than moralistic, following results over rhetoric.

AppLovin’s launch of Axon marks its transformation from mobile gaming to full-scale AI ad platform — and one of ad tech’s boldest pivots yet. The new Axon Ads Manager promises real-time AI bidding, Shopify integrations, and transparent attribution as the company positions itself as a performance-driven alternative to Meta and Google. The rollout comes as the SEC investigates AppLovin’s data practices, spotlighting the tension between AI-powered innovation and compliance. Marketers see opportunity — regulators see risk.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is investigating AppLovin’s data-collection methods, per Bloomberg, sending the mobile ad tech company’s stock down 14% Monday and an additional 3% in pre-market trading Tuesday. AppLovin’s SEC outcome could redefine the balance between innovation and accountability, forcing ad tech firms to prove that smarter targeting doesn’t come at the cost of user trust. Brands relying on opaque data streams or third-party targeting tech may face similar scrutiny. For CMOs, it underscores the need to audit data pipelines and vet AI partners for regulatory resilience.

The news: Quality control is a growing fear for advertisers as an Adweek investigation found ads from major brands appeared near offensive and inappropriate content. Ads from brands like Amazon and Verizon were found near sexual or racially offensive content on the Android short-form video app XShorts. Our take: Advertisers are increasingly faced with a digital landscape where programmatic ad buying lacks the quality control required to keep up with rapid innovation and demand for ad space—prompting renewed calls for transparency, verification, and human oversight in automated systems.

Nearly two-thirds of digital advertising spending in 2025 will be delivered on mobile devices. Tariffs may dampen spending growth but shouldn’t reduce mobile’s share of the digital advertising pie.

AppLovin beat Q1 expectations and exited gaming: The company is now all-in on adtech, led by AXON’s rapid growth.

AppLovin faces fraud allegations from short sellers: Accusations of deceptive ad practices and data misuse put the firm under pressure; leadership denies the claims.

AppLovin is setting its sights on ecommerce: Executives plan to attract spenders and grow revenues with a slew of ad product launches.

AppLovin exits gaming in $900M sale to focus on AI-driven adtech: The company sells its entire "apps business," shifting its strategy to prioritize ad mediation, automation, and performance-based advertising.

AppLovin's Axon engine drives ad success: Its AI-powered product boosted software platform revenues by 66% year over year.

Identity resolution is in a state of flux in the US advertising industry, with third-party browser cookies and mobile IDs being ushered out in the name of consumer privacy.

With gaming shifting to mobile, developers increasingly turn to ads, while marketers realize that games can reach a wide array of people.

US adults continue to spend time with smartphones at the expense of TV, desktop and tablets, but emerging devices and changing consumer preferences may decelerate this trend.