In today’s Digest, we cover BBC Studios accelerating digital growth in EMEA, Reddit challenging Australia’s under-16 social media ban in court, and Amazon planning to invest over USD$35bn in India’s AI sector.

BBC Studios accelerates digital growth in EMEA

BBC Studios has reported sustained growth in its digital and on-demand services across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, underscoring the broadcaster’s push into streaming over the past five years. At the heart of this expansion is BBC Player, the company’s multi-genre VoD platform, which now offers up to 700 hours of premium content ranging from drama and natural history to documentaries, lifestyle and entertainment programming. 

The service has recently extended its reach into Southern Europe and is now available in seven EMEA markets: Spain, Malta, Greece, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland. Complementing BBC Player, the company continues to build out its portfolio of branded digital services, including BBC Nordic+ across the Nordics and BBC NL+ in Benelux. BBC Studios is also accelerating its FAST channel strategy in the region. 

Reddit challenges Australia’s under-16 Social media ban in court

Reddit has mounted a legal challenge in Australia’s High Court against the country’s newly enacted ban on social media use for under-16s, filing its case just days after rolling out age-restriction measures on its own platform. In its submission, the company said it supports protecting younger users but warned the legislation could force “intrusive and potentially insecure” age-verification systems on both minors and adults. 

Reddit argued the law risks cutting teenagers off from age-appropriate online communities and criticised what it called an “illogical patchwork” of platforms covered by the ban.

The platform maintains that it operates primarily as a forum for adults and lacks many of the traditional social media features targeted by the legislation. It is contesting the law on grounds that it infringes Australia’s implied freedom of political communication, while also seeking clarity on whether Reddit should even fall within the scope of the restrictions.

Amazon to invest $35bn+ in India’s AI

Amazon has announced plans to invest more than USD$35bn (£25.9bn) in India’s cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors by 2030, underscoring its long-term commitment to one of the world’s fastest-growing digital markets.

The US company said the investment will be directed toward accelerating AI-driven digitisation, boosting exports, and creating jobs, aligning with New Delhi’s push to establish a robust domestic AI ecosystem. According to Amazon’s projections, the initiative could generate up to 1 million jobs spanning direct, indirect, induced, and seasonal employment by the end of the decade.