This week: OpenAI officially launched ads in ChatGPT with "clearly labeled" sponsored messages, Google faced another EU antitrust probe over search ad auction practices while rolling out new AI-powered campaign tools, Meta continued pushing AI capabilities with new creative testing features and ad integrity units, CTV publishers grappled with ad fraud concerns despite massive streaming growth, and the IAB introduced new AI disclosure frameworks leaving plenty open to interpretation.

This week: The IAB unified its measurement initiatives under Project Eidos, the MRC pushed for auction transparency, Amazon opened beta testing for its MCP server integration, Nielsen piloted new co-viewing measurement for the Super Bowl, and Reddit’s ad revenue surged 75% YoY despite stock volatility.

The industry is waking up to a harsh reality.

While everyone has been throwing money into the wind based on platform metrics, the underlying infrastructure for measurement and attribution has been crumbling. This week brought solutions: some promising, some overdue, and one that feels like the industry finally admitting we’ve been flying blind for years.

This week: Meta invested heavily in AI infrastructure while its ad machine continues to print money, TikTok returned to the US with new privacy questions, Pinterest rolled out campaign oversight tools, LinkedIn saw 30% video ad growth, and Prebid took ownership of sell-side AI agent code for publishers.

The big story? Meta's betting $115-135 billion on AI dreams, funded entirely by its ad business. Meanwhile, the industry continues wrestling with AI agents, attribution challenges, and the ongoing platform truth vs. back-end truth problem.

Features & Improvements

This week: Google upgraded AI Overviews with Gemini 3 Pro and launched shoppable CTV formats across YouTube, Meta expanded Reels distribution across Instagram profiles and rolled out new ad placements, OpenAI officially launched ads in ChatGPT after years of resistance, Netflix doubled ad revenue and projects similar growth for 2026, and Amazon Publisher Services released its Prebid adapter for open beta testing.

This week: Google rolled out new Shopping features and AI-powered measurement tools while launching Gemini extensions for Search, Meta shifted priorities with Reality Labs cuts and new leadership appointments, Pinterest unveiled trend predictions and enhanced user controls, TikTok expanded AI creative tools for Shop listings, and industry leaders debated the courage gap in ad tech transparency.

This week: Google rolled out new AI-powered shopping capabilities and measurement tools while updating its ad policies, TikTok enhanced trust features for in-stream shopping as its U.S. future remains uncertain, Meta continued building Washington connections while testing new features, Reddit improved its AI targeting transparency, and Amazon Ads shared new research on interactive video advertising at CES 2026.

Features & Improvements

This week: Paid digital advertising was all about year-end retrospectives and looking ahead. Google dominated headlines with its AI Mode expansion and major algorithm updates, while Meta stepped back from brand safety audits (raising some eyebrows), TikTok doubled down on sports content for 2026, and the programmatic world continued wrestling with transparency issues that just won't quit. Plus, AI chatbots started testing ads, because of course they did.

This week: The holiday week brought a flurry of platform updates and industry shifts that savvy advertisers need to know about.  Snapchat challenged misconceptions about its audience demographics, Google rolled out new transparency features for Performance Max campaigns, Nielsen and Roku deepened their data partnership for CTV measurement, programmatic's transparency problem came into sharper focus, and contextual advertising made a comeback as cookies and traditional targeting methods continue to break down.