In today’s Digest, we cover OpenAI expanding ChatGPT ads globally as The Trade Desk’s CSO joins the company, Meta taking Ofcom to court over online safety penalties, and Apple agreeing to a USD$250m payout over Siri AI misrepresentation.

OpenAI expands ChatGPT ads to new markets as Trade Desk CSO joins the company 

OpenAI is expanding its advertising business internationally, with plans to begin testing ads in the UK, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, and Mexico over the coming weeks. The rollout extends ChatGPT’s advertising pilot beyond existing markets including the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, as the company ramps up efforts to monetise its rapidly growing user base. 

While ad capabilities remain most advanced in the US where advertisers can target both logged-in and logged-out users, the broader expansion signals OpenAI’s growing confidence in advertising as a long-term business model. Industry analysts say the expansion will help OpenAI gather critical data on user engagement, ad performance, and content effectiveness across different regions.

Meanwhile, Samantha Jacobson is leaving The Trade Desk to join OpenAI as vice president of partnerships for monetisation, further strengthening the company’s growing advertising and commercial operations. Jacobson, who served as chief strategy officer at The Trade Desk, will remain on the company’s board while taking on responsibility for OpenAI’s monetisation partnerships across advertising, distribution, platform infrastructure, and emerging business models.

Meta sues Ofcom over Safety Act fines

Meta has launched a legal challenge against Ofcom over the fee and fines structure tied to the UK’s Online Safety Act. The company argues that Ofcom’s methodology for calculating penalties and regulatory charges based on a company’s global revenue rather than UK-specific earnings is disproportionate and unfair. Under the legislation, breaches can result in fines of up to 10% of worldwide revenue or £18 million, whichever is higher. Meta could theoretically face penalties running into tens of billions of dollars based on its global turnover.

Meta is seeking a judicial review in the High Court, contending that enforcement costs and sanctions should reflect revenues generated within the UK rather than worldwide operations. Ofcom has defended its approach as consistent with the law and says it will robustly defend its position in court ahead of a hearing scheduled for October. 

Apple pays $250m over Siri AI claims

Apple has agreed to pay USD$250m (£197.5m) to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging it misled consumers about AI capabilities in its Siri voice assistant, particularly in its 2024 marketing of newer iPhone models. The plaintiffs argued that Apple promoted “personalised” AI features for Siri that were not yet available at the time of advertising and in some cases remain unreleased, claiming the company used the promises to drive sales of devices including the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16. 

The settlement, which awaits court approval and includes no admission of wrongdoing, covers an estimated 36 million devices sold in the United States between June 2024 and March 2025. The case was supported in part by findings from the Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division, which concluded that Apple’s marketing implied the AI-enhanced Siri was already available. 

Under the agreement, eligible consumers could receive between USD$25 (£19.75) and USD$95 (£75.05) per device, depending on claims volume. The plaintiffs’ lawyers described the case as a warning about AI-era marketing practices and consumer expectations as companies race to commercialise artificial intelligence features.