TikTok expands AI video creation tools: Dreamina Seedance 2.5 keeps advertisers in the app as longer, production-ready videos reduce the need for outside tools.

GenAI user penetration is high across Asia-Pacific, but every country has its nuances. Government policy, local AI ecosystems, demographics, and digital infrastructure are creating distinct paths to adoption in China, India, Japan, and South Korea.

Third-party marketplaces concentrate most of the world's online shopping, and the model keeps expanding: social platforms now run marketplaces, US retailers are opening their marketplaces to international shoppers, and Latin America has become the most contested battleground. This FAQ covers how marketplace power is distributed, where the growth is, and what sellers should do about it in 2026.

TikTok’s influence across Western Europe keeps expanding, but its biggest opportunities vary by market. This report explores where user growth, advertising, and social commerce are accelerating.

Alibaba, Pinduoduo, JD.com, ByteDance, and Xiaohongshu face scrutiny amid weak demand.

Total media time is plateauing across Asia-Pacific. But mobile and video are driving digital’s continued gains as traditional media declines.

Global ad spending is accelerating again, despite geopolitical shocks. Digital is tightening its grip, even as traditional media gets a temporary boost from major events. The sources of growth are shifting across regions—and among platforms.

ByteDance could benefit from a digitally savvy under- and unbanked population.

Asia-Pacific retail sales growth will stay resilient at 4.9% in 2026 despite volatility, as ecommerce in China nears 50% of retail sales, and livestreaming will top $1 trillion for the first time. Instant and AI-driven commerce will reshape the region’s digital commerce future, and India and Southeast Asia will power the next growth wave.

Viral AI scenes spark studio backlash, exposing genAI’s tightrope between demo buzz and copyright infringement.

With TikTok uncertainty lifted, sponsored creator post volume and influencer activity surged after the US joint venture deal.

TikTok has finalized a deal to maintain US operations, and its growth now depends on higher ad yields and efficiency as user growth slows.

TikTok’s 2026 looks just as uncertain as 2025: Despite new US owners, questions remain about content moderation and its algorithm

TikTok has agreed to a sweeping US restructuring that creates a majority-American–controlled joint venture, fulfilling bipartisan divestment demands and reducing the threat of an outright ban. Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX will hold 50% ownership, with US-appointed directors overseeing data protection, moderation, and the retraining of TikTok’s recommendation algorithm. ByteDance will retain a minority 19.9% stake and continue managing global operations outside the US. The shift brings long-missing stability for advertisers but also creates operational distance from ByteDance’s global systems, potentially slowing innovation and altering performance patterns. The next year will be a critical recalibration period for brands and creators.

For social platforms, AI hype is colliding with user fatigue and rising regulations. In the US, they face stalled engagement and tougher rules as people demand more control and more human experiences.

Baidu posted its sharpest revenue decline on record, with ad revenues falling 18% as AI-generated answers replace traditional search clicks. Ernie Bot now powers responses on most Baidu queries, improving user experience but suppressing monetizable activity—a trend management says will weigh on results into Q4. Competitors like Tencent, ByteDance, and PDD are still growing 20% to 30% YoY, suggesting Baidu’s weakness is structural. While the US market is more diversified, Baidu offers a stress test: AI can reshape search faster than monetization evolves. For advertisers, it’s a reminder that even Google and Microsoft must balance innovation with economic stability.

Global ad spending has steadied after a turbulent year, setting the stage for modest acceleration in 2026. Digital is still the main engine, but traditional media’s rebound will add lift as markets stabilize.

The Trump administration claimed Thursday that China has greenlit a US TikTok transfer agreement, just over a month after President Trump signed an executive order to keep the short-form video leader operational in the US. China’s commerce ministry simultaneously announced that it will collaborate with the US to solve “issues related to TikTok,” but similarly did not elaborate. Tentative talks around TikTok’s future offer short-term stability for advertisers but don’t resolve issues TikTok will face in the long-term.

TikTok is undergoing a sweeping reorganization that consolidates control under ByteDance’s Beijing-based leadership. The company’s global content and distribution teams now report directly to Douyin architect Fiona Zhi, who is closely tied to ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming. The change strengthens central oversight just as the US and China approach a potential TikTok ownership deal—but it also raises questions about governance, transparency, and stability. Advertisers are pausing or shifting spend amid uncertainty over who will run TikTok’s US operations and how its algorithm and data policies will evolve. ByteDance’s move reasserts control—but risks reigniting trust concerns in its largest market.