Walmart tries SMS shopping again, this time backed by AI and customer data: It will use the same conversational commerce tech that helped make its voice-assisted shopping successful.

Amazon’s search results prioritize its own products and could draw regulator scrutiny: An investigation from The Markup found Amazon buries competing products and often hides information about sponsored search results from users.

As cookie alternatives proliferate, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is stepping in to provide order: The newly launched id-sources.json framework is meant to clarify which new IDs are being used by ad networks and publishers.

A standard currency for TV and digital is unlikely, despite buyers’ wishes: Media buyers want more connection between linear and streaming TV, and though individual networks are making strides, an industrywide solution is unlikely.

Social media platforms are betting on social audio as part of the creator economy: Live audio is becoming less about the platforms that started the trend as more big firms launch creator-focused features.

What would it take for advertisers to leave Facebook? We posed that question to our analysts and industry sources. Take a sneak peek at our upcoming Facebook advertising forecast as well.

Trust in mass media is down—but social media isn’t a perfect alternative: Media confidence is highly split on partisan lines, and using social media for news can reproduce the same problems.

Walmart’s GoLocal delivery service will need smaller customers to be sustainable: The Home Depot is a good start, but it’s big enough that it’s likely to take delivery in-house in the near future.

IAC’s Dotdash acquires Meredith in a $2.7 billion deal: The move demonstrates that publishers see value in building deep verticalized content brands, hastened by the demise of the third-party cookie.

Twitch’s market dominance is under the microscope after a data breach exposes security flaws, payouts: More leaks could be on the way and could lead Amazon to face scrutiny from regulators and its own users.

Is TikTok ready to take on Amazon? ByteDance wants to launch an international ecommerce platform; whether it rolls out as a TikTok integration, or as a standalone app, will be a litmus test for the strength of the US social commerce market.

Amazon announces “Black Friday-worthy” deals are starting earlier than ever: Following Prime Day 2020's success as a preamble to the holiday season, Amazon is rolling out discounts early—and competitors are following suit.

YouTube Shorts is bringing its Shorts Fund to over 30 new countries: The platform is stressing the importance of original content as it goes up against TikTok for creators.

Hispanic Heritage Month is upon us: brands are making strides in reaching out to this growing demographic at this time of year, but what about the other 11 months?

The future of Google Search is going to be visual: The updates will make it increasingly difficult for competitors to make inroads.

Gaming is a key component of Netflix’s lofty franchise goals: On its own, gaming can help Netflix increase time spent. But it’s especially valuable in its push to build popular properties into full-fledged multimedia “universes.”

TikTok’s new marketing tools focus on customization and commerce: It’s taking steps to make advertisers feel comfortable on the platform and heavily push social commerce.

Instagram Kids is on pause in the wake of critical reporting from The Wall Street Journal: The move suggests that Facebook hasn’t put in the necessary effort to prove that such an app is useful or important.

Twitter’s latest product road map updates put an emphasis on user experience and, of course, creators: The moves come amid increased competition from other major social players.